WALES

Airports

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the development of regional airports in Wales.

Peter Hain: The Transport (Wales) Bill will give the Assembly a specific power to provide financial assistance in respect of air services and airport facilities, where these would not otherwise be provided. The Bill received its Second Reading in another place on 1 November.
	The Assembly Government are keen to exploit the potential of air transport within Wales. Following an extensive consultation exercise, it proposes to take forward a service from Swansea and Cardiff to Valley on Anglesey. This service would operate two flights a day in each direction. It would provide significant time savings for passengers and improve business links. The Assembly Government will be working with their partners to launch this service in 2006, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals and consents.

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Office from May 1997 broken down by act.

Nick Ainger: The information is as follows:
	Government of Wales Act 1998: (Responsibility of Welsh Office)
	Section 96-Offence relating to preservation of order;
	Section 72-Offence relating to integrity;
	Section 75-Offence relating to witness and documents;
	Section 145C-Offence relating to studies relating to registered social landlords;
	Schedule 13-Offence relating to Welsh Development Agency disclosure of information.
	Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004: (Responsibility of Wales Office)
	Section 5-Offence relating to studies relating to registered social landlords;
	Section 19-Offence relating to Auditor's rights to documents and information;
	Section 27-Offence relating to Additional publicity for immediate reports;
	Section 29-Offence relating to inspection of statements of accounts and auditors' report;
	Section 39-Offence relating to accounts and audit regulations;
	Section 47-Offence relating to publication of information as to standards of performance;
	Section 53-Offence relating to rights of Auditor General for Wales to documents and information;
	Section 54-Offence relating to restriction on disclosure of information;
	Section 54A-Offence relating to restriction on disclosure of information by or on behalf of public authority.
	Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (Responsibility of Wales Office)
	Section 17-Offence relating to publishing reports;
	Section 26-Offence relating to disclosure of information.

IT Projects

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many IT projects have been developed for his Department since 2001; and whether he has agreed to make public Gateway Reviews for these projects (a) in full and (b) in part.

Peter Hain: None.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abandoned Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned cars (a) were recorded in each local authority in England in 200405 and (b) are predicted for 200506.

Ben Bradshaw: The data on how many abandoned cars were recorded in each local authority in 200405 are still being collated and we intend to make this information available as soon as possible.
	It is not possible to predict the number of cars abandoned for future years, as several variables such as the price of scrap metal can have significant impacts on the number of cars abandoned.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will compensate poultry keepers who report a possible infection with avian influenza who are then affected by further cases during the time taken by the Department to carry out the necessary tests.

Ben Bradshaw: In the event of an avian influenza outbreak, compensation would be payable under Schedule 3 of the Animal Health Act 1981 against the number of healthy birds destroyed at time of slaughter.

Avian Influenza

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial resources have been made available by her Department to publicise the procedures that should be followed by local authorities who suspect the presence of Avian influenza; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Existing legislation requires that any person including a local authority who suspects the presence of Avian influenza in poultry must report it to the local office of the State Veterinary Service.
	No additional funding has been made available to local authorities for this purpose. However, consideration is being given to the way work following an outbreak that local authorities may undertake should be funded.

Avian Influenza

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency planning has been undertaken in West Lancashire to protect against an outbreak of avian influenza, with particular reference to Martin Mere; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have significantly enhanced the arrangements for surveillance of wild birds, including the investigation of die-offs and sampling at shoots and wetlands. These arrangements have been agreed as part of coordinated efforts across the European Union.
	Martin Mere is a wildfowl and wetlands trust that is fully aware of avian influenza and what to look for. They would notify their local Animal Health Office should they suspect avian influenza or other notifiable disease.
	Defra has recently reviewed and updated its contingency plans and, following a period of public consultation, the Exotic Animal Disease Generic Contingency Plan, which includes a section dealing specifically with an outbreak of avian influenza. The plan is regularly tested and was laid before Parliament on 21 July 2005. It is also available on the Defra website. In the event of an outbreak in GB the plan would be invoked immediately.

Avian Influenza

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have (a) to prevent the release of game birds and (b) to ban driven shooting in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no plans to treat game bird activity any differently from the remainder of the poultry industry. Restrictions on the movement of poultry in the event of an outbreak are contained within the Diseases of Poultry Order 2003. Game birds fall within the definition of poultry within this Order if they are reared or kept in captivity.

Avian Influenza

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is the current average period between a bird's death in quarantine and a veterinary investigation taking place into the cause of the bird's death.

Ben Bradshaw: Guidelines to the state veterinary service allow a local veterinary inspector (LVI) to hold dead birds in a fridge or freezer for up to 10 days, if they do not suspect the presence of a notifiable disease, prior to sending them for testing.

Avian Influenza

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in how many bird deaths in quarantine which were investigated was a specific cause of death identified in 200405.

Ben Bradshaw: All birds dying in quarantine must be tested for the presence of the avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses. No other tests are routinely performed. An importer, however, may carry out other tests privately.
	Since November 2001 there have been four cases of highly pathogenic Newcastle disease and three cases of low pathogenic Newcastle disease (PMV1) in quarantine. There has been one case of avian influenza (H5N1), identified on the 21 October 2005.

Avian Influenza

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what guidance she has issued to workers in (a) the commercial care of birds sector and (b) bird quarantine centres on whether they should attend events where there are large collections of birds;
	(2)  what guidance she has issued to workers in (a) the commercial care of birds sector and (b) bird quarantine centres who are also engaged in employment within the NHS.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA has distributed guidance materials on avian influenza to a range of industry groups-including the British Poultry Council, the British Egg Industry Council and the National Farmers Union-who are helping to distribute this material to their members, who cover the majority of birds. A simple one-page leaflet on biosecurity and surveillance for smaller concerns and backyard keepers has also been produced and has been distributed widely including to all veterinary practices and placed in trade and specialist press targeting the same audience .
	DEFRA take very seriously and liaises closely with Department of Health, Health Protection Agency and the Health and Safety executive, who lead in this area. Guidance on worker protection has been issued by an industry and cross departmental working group and is available on the avian influenza pages of the DEFRA website.
	Gatherings of birds at markets, shows, fairs and similar events are currently prohibited except under license following a veterinary risk assessment and which impose strict biosecurity requirements.

Avian Influenza

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licensed quarantine sites for birds there are in (a) the Hemel Hempstead constituency and (b) Hertfordshire.

Ben Bradshaw: According to the records we have, there are currently no licensed quarantine sites for birds within either the Hemel Hempstead constituency or Hertfordshire.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what circumstances the Government will pay for the testing of poultry for avian influenza.

Ben Bradshaw: All imported poultry must be accompanied by a health certificate, as laid down in EU legislation. The health certificate contains an official statement confirming that the birds are healthy and the premises and area of origin are free from avian influenza. Poultry is not required to be tested prior to export to the UK.
	Where samples are taken from poultry for the purposes of ascertaining if those poultry are infected with the avian influenza virus, the tests carried out in the official laboratory are not charged directly to the owner of the poultry. Similarly, for any poultry that dies within 14 days of arrival the cost of testing for avian influenza would be borne by the Government.

Avian Influenza

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has identified strains of avian influenza closely related to H5N1 already in England; and what assessment she has made of the epidemiological implications of co-infection with H5N1 in a single host.

Ben Bradshaw: The last H5 avian influenza virus to be isolated in England was the H5N1 virus responsible for the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in turkeys in Norfolk in 199192. This virus is genetically distinguishable from the H5N1 viruses currently causing the problems in East Asia and the virus isolated recently in quarantine birds in Essex.
	The genetic material (RNA) of influenza viruses is segmented into eight distinct genes, which code for 10 proteins. Because this viral RNA is segmented, genetic reassortment can occur in mixed infections with different strains of influenza A viruses. This means that when two viruses infect the same cell, progeny viruses may inherit sets of eight RNA segments made up of combinations of segments from either of the parent viruses. The epidemiological significance of this for humans is that in theory if, for example, an H5N1 virus and a human influenza virus infect the same animal and same cell a reassortant virus could emerge that possessed the virus genes that enabled it to be transmissible in humans, but with the H5 haemagglutinin gene, which would mean that humans had no immunity to this virus. This mechanism is thought to have been the way the H2N2 and the H3N2 pandemic viruses emerged in 1957 and 1968 respectively.

Beef Exports

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken since May to promote the export of British beef; and what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for beef exports.

Ben Bradshaw: Promotion of beef exports is undertaken primarily by the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), their devolved bodies such as Hybu Cig Cymru in Wales and the beef industry itself. The Government recently fully supported their efforts to promote British beef at the International Food Fair, ANUGA, in Cologne in early October. On 14 October, Lord Bach held a high level meeting with the industry, agreeing to work together on opening up export markets for beef once the export ban is lifted.
	The European Commission has acknowledged that the essential preconditions for lifting the EU export ban have been fulfilled. We are now awaiting proposals from the Commission for legislation to lift the ban. Such proposals would have to be submitted to EU member states to consider in the Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH). If the member states were to vote in favour of the proposals in SCoFCAH, they would be translated into all EU languages and presented to the College of Commissioners for formal adoption. We hope that these processes will be completed in early 2006. but this is a best case scenario. We will continue to argue for an early resumption of beef exports.
	The MLC estimate that UK beef exports could be about 40,000 tonnes, divided equally between prime beef and cow beef, in the first year after the ban is lifted.

Biodegradable Waste Pilot Schemes

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs where the 10 pilot plants funded by the Waste Implementation Programme for new waste technologies for the treatment of biodegradable municipal waste will be sited; and what types of technology will be used.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
	Defra's Waste Implementation ProgrammeNew Technologies Demonstration Programme
	Subject to contractual closure and also planning, permitting and licensing requirements the following projects have been identified as possible demonstration projects:
	ADASIn-vessel composting sited in Somersham, Cambridgeshire
	Novera EnergyGasification situated near Frog Island, East London
	South Shropshire/GreenfinchAnaerobic Digestion sited at Ludlow, South Shropshire
	BioganixIn-vessel composting situated at Leominster, Herefordshire
	SITA/GolderMBT/Anaerobic digestion sited at Packington Landfill site, Warwickshire
	Compact PowerPyrolysis/Gasification sited at Avonmouth, Bristol
	YorwasteGasification sited at Seamer, Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
	Premier WasteAerobic digestion sited in County Durham
	EnergosGasification sited on the Isle of Wight.

Biofuels

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support is available to farmers to grow crops for biofuels.

Elliot Morley: Help is available to farmers to grow crops for use in the generation of biomass heat and electricity and transport biofuels. 29 million was made available under the Energy Crops Scheme to support the planting of short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus, and the setting up of producer groups to supply SRC to biomass heat and electricity end-users. The 3.5 million Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme, which is now closed for applications, provides grants to develop the supply chain for purpose-grown energy crops, straw and woodfuel from harvest through to delivery to biomass energy end-users. Defra-funded research projects on crops for biomass heat and electricity are looking to develop disease resistant varieties and increase yields. Best practice guidance is available for growing SRC and miscanthus. Farmers growing crops for biomass heat and electricity and transport biofuels can receive the Single Payment for certain crops grown on set-aside or where the 45/ha Energy Aid payment is claimed for crops on non set-aside land. It was announced on 10 November that the Government will introduce a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation which will require 5 per cent. of transport fuel sold in the UK to come from a renewable source by 2010. This may open up opportunities for farmers to supply crops to be used to produce biofuels.

Bird Markets

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation will be offered to those who cannot hold bird markets and auctions as a result of the European Commission's Decision 2005/745/EC.

Ben Bradshaw: It is not Government policy to compensate for losses consequent upon the implementation of EU legislation.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Prime Minister on a policy towards bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular meetings with the Prime Minister and other colleagues on a range of issues.

Cetacean By-catch

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) the European Commission, (b) France and (c) other EU member states regarding actions necessary to reduce cetacean by-catch.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 November 2005
	Previous discussions with the European Commission and other member states, following pressure from the UK, resulted in the adoption in April 2004 of Community measures to address cetacean by-catch (Council Regulation EC No. 812/2004). These measures include the mandatory use of observers to widen knowledge of where by-catch occurs and the use of pingers to deter porpoises from gill nets. A review of the effectiveness of these measures is due to take place in 200708.
	More recently, pressure from the UK in relation to common dolphin by-catch in the Western Channel secured agreement at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers' meeting in March 2005 to an early review by the International Council for the Exploration of Sea (ICES) of the interaction of fisheries and common dolphins in the North East Atlantic. Following publication of this ICES advice, Commissioner Borg has written in September 2005 to all member states stressing the urgent need to provide timely reports to the Commission on the results from the observer schemes required under the council regulation to ensure that any future by-catch reduction measures can be targeted effectively.

Climate Change

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will support legally binding targets to tackle climate change.

Elliot Morley: As yet, there have been no formal intergovernmental discussions of the design of a future commitment period under the Kyoto protocol. The UK will chair the EU at the UN climate change conference at the end of this year at which the first formal discussion will take place when the parties of the Kyoto protocol meet for the first time.
	The EU is also looking forward to using this discussion to initiate a process among all parties to explore how to implement better the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Following this conference, next year we plan to start discussions to prepare the UK position on further action.
	The UK Government and the EU want to build on the Kyoto protocol and its key elements such as targets and timetables, monitoring and reporting, compliance and the flexibility mechanisms for the period after 2012. At the March meeting of the European Council of Ministers, the European Heads of Government stated that the EU looks forward to exploring with other parties strategies for achieving necessary emission reductions and believes that in this context, reduction pathways for the group of developed countries in the order of 1530 per cent. by 2020, compared to the baseline envisaged in the Kyoto protocol and in the spirit of the conclusions of the Environment
	Council should be considered.

Climate Change

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals the United Kingdom plans to put to the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention to be held in Montreal from 28 November to 9 December.

Elliot Morley: The EU agreed its negotiating strategy for the upcoming Montreal conference at the Environment Council of 17 October. Its priority is to get the Kyoto Protocol off to a good start and ensure it is operating efficiently. This includes adoption of the Marrakech Accords, the rule book for the protocol. The EU confirmed its determination to meets its commitments under the UN Framework Convention and Protocol, including on funding to assist developing countries. The EU also set an objective to launch discussions on a process to determine further action after the Kyoto Protocol first commitment period.

Energy Efficiency

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage progress in promoting household energy efficiency in West Lancashire.

Elliot Morley: The Government funds the Energy Saving Trust to deliver energy efficiency solutions to household consumers. Through its network of local Energy Efficiency Advice Centres, the Trust provides advice on energy efficiency to consumers and refers them to any grants or offers for energy efficiency measures available in their area. The Lancashire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre provides advice and support to West Lancashire.

Energy Efficiency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes Ofgem has made in the last six months to its scoring and value of insulation measures when assessing measures being taken under the energy efficiency commitments.

Elliot Morley: Ofgem has made no changes in the last six months to the improvements in energy efficiency that it determines for insulation measures under the Energy Efficiency Commitment 200508.

Energy Efficiency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of fuel suppliers being able to carry over unlimited energy savings from Energy Efficiency Commitment 200205 to Energy Efficiency Commitment 200508 upon the number of homes which will have to be insulated in order to meet the reduction targets; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Ofgem's report to the Secretary of State on the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) 200205 includes an assessment of the transitional provisions to the EEC 200508, which enabled energy suppliers to start work early on their targets for EEC 200508 and energy efficiency activity to continue without interruption. We will take account of the impact of these provisions both in our monitoring of the EEC 200508 and in our consideration of proposals for the EEC 200811, including the transitional provisions to that phase. It is open to energy suppliers how they will meet their targets for the promotion of improvements in energy efficiency under EEC 200508.

Energy Efficiency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much has been provided to the HEAT project through the energy efficiency commitment in each year of its operation;
	(2)  how many dwellings have had energy efficiency measures installed through the HEAT programme, broken down by (a) type of measure and (b) total funding provided; and what proportion of these were assessed as fuel poor.

Elliot Morley: While I understand that H EAT is an energy supplier's scheme under the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC), Ofgem, who administers the EEC does not report on an individual scheme basis. Ofgem's report to the Secretary of State A Review of the Energy Efficiency Commitment 200205 sets out for each energy supplier the percentage of energy savings achieved towards its target according to the types of measures deliveredinsulation, heating, appliances and lighting. For each type of measure the percentage of savings achieved in the priority group of low-income consumers is specified.

Energy Efficiency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dwellings have been insulated in each year since the inception of the energy efficiency commitments; what percentage of the target set for each year this represents; and how many she estimates will be insulated through the second round of energy efficiency commitments of 2005 to 2008.

Elliot Morley: Under the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC), it is open to energy suppliers how they meet their targets for the promotion of improvements in energy efficiency. During the EEC 200205, 367,070 cavity wall insulation, 224,521 loft insulation (professional), 330,274 loft insulation (DIY) and 17,689 solid wall insulation measures were installed. The target for the EEC 200205 was set for the three-year period and these measures represent 38 per cent. of the target. (Figures are not available on an annual basis and do not reflect the number of dwellings insulated, since some may have received both loft and wall insulation.)

Energy Efficiency

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency and (b) Norfolk have received assistance under the Warm Front Scheme in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: Between the launch of the Warm Front Scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2005, the number of households assisted in each year in the Great Yarmouth constituency was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200001 163 
			 200102 464 
			 200203 471 
			 200304 246 
			 200405 474 
			 Total 1,818 
		
	
	During the same period, the number of households assisted in Norfolk was:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200001 1,007 
			 200102 3,795 
			 200203 2,608 
			 200304 1,912 
			 200405 2,835 
			 Total 12,157

Essential Chlorofluorocarbons

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the UK's position relative to that of other countries in respect of Annex I of Commission Decision 2005/626/EC, OJ L 224 volume 48 of 30 August on the definition of essential chlorofluorocarbons.

Elliot Morley: Under the Montreal Protocol, which phases out chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), CFC's can continue to be used in pharmaceutical metered dose inhalers (MDI's), until the party concerned declares that use to be non-essential. The EU (and corresponding UK) Transition Strategy for the Phase Out of CFC's in MDI's sets out how the transition away from CFC's in MDI's will be managed.
	The Transition Strategy states that when an adequate number and range of CFC-free metered dose inhalers (MDIs) to meet patient needs are available for an individual drug, the use of CFCs will no longer be considered essential for that drug product. To date, the UK has declared salbutamol as non essential.
	The variations between EU member states, shown in Annex 1 of Commission Decision 2005/626/EC, are partly dependent on clinical practice which varies from country to country. The majority of products listed in Annex 1 are either not marketed in the UK or are not available as MDI's, hence the UK has had no need to declare the use of CFCs as non-essential.
	The European Commission, with member states, is currently reviewing the scope for further declarations of non-essentiality in relation to a number of other drug products used in inhalers. Following this review the UK may be in a position to declare further drug products non-essential.

Fishing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the use of fixed bolt rigs in lakes in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The use of fixed bolt rigs is legal if used in conjunction with a licensed rod and line and in accordance with fishery byelaws.
	To encourage anglers to take a responsible approach to their sport, the National Angling Alliance has produced a Code of Conduct for Coarse Anglers. This has been endorsed by the Environment Agency. This code includes advice on how bolt rigs should be used to minimise the risk to fish.

Fishing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on whether fishing lakes and rivers should have a closed season.

Ben Bradshaw: Fishing close seasons in England and Wales are specified in the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1975, and byelaws made under that Act. The rationale for the statutory close seasons is to protect fisheries from the impacts of angling during the spawning season. Coarse fish are returned alive to fisheries and therefore a close season for these species may no longer be justified on all waters.
	The close season for coarse fish runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive on all rivers, the Norfolk Broads and on some stillwater Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It also applies to several canals which have multiple connections with neighbouring rivers.
	The statutory coarse fish close season has been removed on canals and on all other stillwaters.

Fishing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to stop the poaching of (a) carp, (b) bream, (c) pike and (d) tench in lakes in England.

Ben Bradshaw: Poaching, whether for these or other fish species, generally refers to taking fish using illegal methods, and/or taking fish without the owner's permission, i.e. theft. It cuts across the roles and responsibilities of the fishery owner, the Environment Agency and the Police.
	The Environment Agency is responsible for regulating fishing methods, under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1975. Individual fishery owners and the police are responsible for enforcing the Theft Act, 1968.
	The Environment Agency does not have the powers to prosecute under the Theft Act, but will work with the police to bring prosecutions where both theft and illegal fishing offences are committed.
	The Environment Agency takes an intelligence-led approach to programming enforcement and offence detection. It will respond to reports of illegal fishing in line with its customer charter. When it detects an offence and can gather sufficient evidence, it will take further action in line with its enforcement and prosecution policy.
	The Environment Agency and the police support local fishwatch schemes, whereby fishery owners share information on suspicious activity.

Flooding/Flood Defences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of flooding to the economy was in 200405; and how this is predicted to change in future years.

Elliot Morley: Defra has made no estimate of the cost of actual damage due to flooding in 200405. Our latest National Assessment of Defence Needs and Costs study estimated average annual damages from flooding at some 1 billion per year. However it must be emphasised that this is an expected average over the very long term derived by combining the potential damages from a wide range of possible events from the rare and extreme to the very frequent with their probabilities to provide an estimate of the annual expected average. It is not a useful estimate for any specific year.
	Climate change has the potential to increase probability of flooding due to increases in sea level and potential changes in the frequency, duration and intensity of storms. Increased economic wealth will also tend to increase the value of losses. In 2004 the Foresight 'Future Flooding' report, sponsored by the Office of Science and Technology, estimated that, taking these and other factors into account, annual average flood damages could increase by between two and 20 times by the end of the century. The actual increases will be highly dependent on actual patterns of growth, development and future flood management activity.

Flooding/Flood Defences

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Department and its related agencies has commissioned on flood defence policy since 1997; and how much this research has cost.

Elliot Morley: The Department and the Environment Agency have a joint user-oriented thematic programme of research and development addressing the management of risks from flooding and coastal erosion.
	This joint RD programme covers all aspects of flood and coastal erosion risk management, from design, planning, monitoring and appraisal, through to research to support development of flood and coastal policy and guidance.
	Defra and the Environment Agency have commissioned around 200 projects with a range of academic and non-academic establishments since 1997. The details of most projects, including all recent technical reports, are available from http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/research/RandDProiects.htm
	Approximately 26 million was spent on this research between 199798 and 200405. Defra has provided approximately two thirds of the funding in each year.

Foot and Mouth

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent foot and mouth emergency exercise held in Truro.

Ben Bradshaw: The exercise in Truro was routine, and one in an on-going programme of exercises held every year by the State Veterinary Service.
	Some of our major stakeholders attended the exercise as observers and we received very positive and constructive feedback from them. Those stakeholders included representatives from the National Farmers' Union, the Police, and Cornwall County Council Trading Standards and Emergency Planning Department.

FTSE 350 (Environmental Performance)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library the latest list of FTSE 350 companies that report on their environmental performance.

Elliot Morley: The most up to date information of which I am aware was published in the 2004 'Directions' report by Salterbaxter; I shall have a copy placed in the Library. 145 of the FTSE250 report to some extent on their environmental performance.
	The new Operating and Financial Review and the EU Accounts Modernisation Directive are designed to improve company reporting, and require companies to consider their environmental impacts. In addition, my Department will shortly be publishing a suite of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which will help companies manage and communicate the links between environmental and financial performance.

Greenhouse Gases

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is the Government's policy to seek international agreement for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol containing binding greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Elliot Morley: As yet, there have been no formal inter-governmental discussions of the design of a future commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. The UK will chair the EU at the UN climate change conference at the end of this year at which the first formal discussion will take place when the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol meet for the first time.
	The EU is also looking forward to using this discussion to initiate a process among all parties to explore how to implement better the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Following this conference, next year we plan to start discussions to prepare the UK position on further action.
	The UK Government and the EU want to build on the Kyoto Protocol and its key elements such as targets and timetables, monitoring and reporting, compliance and the flexibility mechanisms for the period after 2012. At the March meeting of the European Council of Ministers, the European Heads of Government stated that the EU looks forward to exploring with other parties strategies for achieving necessary emission reductions and believes that in this context, reduction pathways for the group of developed countries in the order of 15 to 30 per cent. by 2020, compared to the baseline envisaged in the Kyoto Protocol and in the spirit of the conclusions of the Environment Council should be considered.

Greenhouse Gases

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research the Government have commissioned into the viability of an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that does not contain binding targets.

Elliot Morley: Currently no such research has been commissioned by this Government. As yet, there have been no formal intergovernmental discussions of the design of a future commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. The UK will chair the EU at the UN climate change conference at the end of this year at which the first formal discussion will take place when the parties of the Kyoto Protocol meet for the first time.
	The EU is also looking forward to using this discussion to initiate a process among all parties to explore how to implement better the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Following this conference, next year we plan to start discussions to prepare the UK position on further action.
	The UK Government and the EU want to build on the Kyoto Protocol and its key elements such as targets and timetables, monitoring and reporting, compliance and the flexibility mechanisms for the period after 2012. At the March meeting of the European Council of Ministers, the European Heads of Government stated that the EU looks forward to exploring with other parties strategies for achieving necessary emission reductions and believes that in this context, reduction pathways for the group of developed countries in the order of 15 to 30 per cent. by 2020, compared to the baseline envisaged in the Kyoto Protocol and in the spirit of the conclusions of the Environment Council should be considered.

Greenhouse Gases

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scientific advice the Government have received on the level of greenhouse gas reductions required by 2050 to avoid unacceptable risk of extreme climate change.

Elliot Morley: The ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that avoids dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. As yet there is no consensus on what constitutes this level. It is, however, accepted that dangerous levels will be different for different impact sectors and for different regions.
	The Environment Council stated in 1996 that adaptation to a global temperature rise of 2C would be possible, but that the impacts associated with a temperature rise greater than 2C are likely to be severe enough to be classified as 'dangerous'. A 2C temperature rise was the starting point for the analysis carried out in preparation for the Energy White Paper, underpinning the conclusion by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution Secretariat that we should put the UK on a path to reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050.
	Our scientific understanding of the links between atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration, the scale of emissions reductions required and the risk of extreme climate change is rapidly developing, but still uncertain. The issue of stabilisation levels of atmospheric greenhouse concentrations was addressed at the Defra-funded international science conference, Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change, held in Exeter in February this year. The report of the steering committee concluded that:
	Compared with the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's] IPCC's Third Assessment Report (TAR) there is greater clarity and reduced uncertainty about the impacts of climate change across a wide range of systems, sectors and societies. In many cases the risks are more serious than previously thought.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department has made to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in relation to contaminated land information in home information packs.

Ben Bradshaw: A submission was provided to the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister regarding the proposed inclusion of contaminated land reports in the home information pack, shortly before publication of the draft regulations for public consultation.

Illegal Logging

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking in respect of the UK Government's EU presidential role to build a multilateral approach under the Forests Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan; what other steps her Department is taking to tackle illegal logging effectively; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government have used its presidencies of the G8 and EU to really focus on the issue of illegal logging and to promote the FLEGT Action Plan.
	The Government see the bilateral approach of the Forests Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) dossier as an important way to develop experience in tacking illegal logging and to build the consensus that could lead to a multilateral agreement. The dossier, recently agreed under the UK presidency of the EU, allows for Partnership Agreements which will involve the establishment of a licensing scheme to ensure that only legal timber from Partner Countries is allowed into the EU.
	Illegal logging was also one of two topics of discussion at the first ever G8 Environment and Development Ministerial meeting in Derbyshire in March 2005. Ministers'; agreed to a range of actions and officials will meet in 2006 to review progress.
	The UK has also led in promoting and supporting Regional Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) processes in order to intensify national efforts and strengthen bilateral, regional and multi-lateral collaboration to address violations of forest law and forest crime. The UK has, from late 2004, been working with Russia to develop the European and North Asia FLEG regional process. The first Ministerial meeting is taking place in St Petersburg this month, November 2005. Other regional processes which the UK supports are the East Asian and African FLEG processes, the Asia Forest Partnership and the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.
	The UK Government also recognise that Government purchasing policies can also send a strong signal to the market and timber suppliers. Since 2000 the UK Government have committed its central departments to seek to procure products made from timber that has been legally harvested and grown in a sustainably managed forest or plantation. The UK timber trade tells us that this policy has been the single most important driver of change of behaviour in the UK private sector. As a leader in this field, this year the Government committed to extend guidance on legal and sustainable timber procurement to the wider public sector, and to share our knowledge on procurement with the G8 and other countries.

Illegal Logging

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the content of the negotiation mandate agreed by EU member states to accompany the EU's new Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan.

Elliot Morley: The Negotiating Mandate contains relevant guidelines that will contribute to the negotiation of successful Partnership Agreements with timber producing countries designed to achieve the ultimate elimination of illegally-produced timber from a partner country's trade. As it forms the basis of negotiations it is a restricted Community Document.

Illegal Logging

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the EU to deliver the report on further legislative options to tackle the import of illegal timber into the EU; what steps she is taking to ensure that this report is delivered before the end of the UK presidency of the EU; and when she expects this report to go to public consultation.

Elliot Morley: Government are frustrated at the time that it has taken the European Commission to produce its report on additional options which is already delayed. Unfortunately due to time-tabling issues the report is now unlikely to be delivered until the Austrian presidency in early 2006 and should go for public consultation at the same time.
	The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House are producing a report on the additional options available in the UK and my officials have been working with the Commission to support them to deliver the EU report.

Illegal Logging

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contribution her Department is making to the proposed establishment of an EU Advisory Group to facilitate consultation on the Forest Law Enforcement Government and Trade Action Plan with civil society groups.

Elliot Morley: Government has valued the many opportunities they have had to consult with civil society in the development of the Forest Law Enforcement Government and Trade Action (FLEGT) Plan both at the UK and European level. This opportunity for consultation will continue and my officials will raise the proposal for an advisory group with EU colleagues.
	Government are also supporting development in all prospective FLEGT partner countries of a better understanding of the FLEGT Action Plan and co-ordination of input from civil society in these countries.

Illegal Logging

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with EU counterparts on independent monitoring and third party verification of the new EU Licensing Regulation under the EU Forest Law Enforcement Government and Trade Action Plan; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the process.

Elliot Morley: Discussions on third party monitoring took place in the EU Forest Working Group during the development of the EU Forest Law Enforcement Government and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan and are a feature of the EU's plans for implementing FLEGT.
	The associated FLEGT licensing scheme will be implemented through voluntary partnership agreements, which will specify that timber products exported from timber-producing countries that sign these agreements to the EU must be covered by a FLEGT licence issued by each such country. These licences will state that the timber products have been produced from timber that was legally harvested or legally imported into the partner country in accordance with its national laws. The process of verifying that timber has been legally produced and properly licensed will be subject to third party monitoring. In addition independent monitors will have access to certain records concerning imports of licensed products into the EU.
	DFID has supported a number of studies on third party monitoring, including the development of guidance for practitioners. The European Commission is currently funding additional work.

Junk Mail

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of junk mail which can be recycled; what estimate she has made of the proportion of paper waste represented by junk mail in the last year for which figures are available; and what steps the Government are taking to reduce the volume of junk mail.

Ben Bradshaw: It is estimated that 550,000 tonnes of direct mail are produced each year. This represents approximately 4 per cent. of paper waste. In theory, all direct mail can be recycled. However, certain adhesives that are used in the production of some direct mail can contaminate the recycling process and consequently make recycling difficult and expensive in certain cases.
	To reduce the volume of direct mail, the Government signed a voluntary agreement with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) in July 2003, which set recycling targets to increase the recycling of direct mail to 70 per cent. by 2013. The agreement also encourages producers of direct mail to avoid using materials that contaminate the recycling process. In addition, the agreement aims to improve the targeting of direct mail, thereby reducing the volume of direct mail that is distributed in the first place by encouraging the use of suppression files, which are lists of people who have opted out of receiving direct mail.

Lakes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure lakes are well oxygenated.

Elliot Morley: In advance of implementation of the Water Framework Directive, there is no general requirement to ensure lakes are well oxygenated. It is worth noting that under natural conditions, upland lakes will tend to be well oxygenated and lowland lakes less well oxygenated. However, there are various measures to address the effects that human activities can have on the natural status of waters.
	In England we have met the requirements of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive to provide secondary treatment for significant sewage discharges to lakes and other inland waters. This is the generally expected standard of treatment to protect the water environment, including the maintenance of dissolved oxygen levels, from the adverse effects of sewage discharges.
	The Freshwater Fish Directive contains provisions for the monitoring of oxygen levels in waters designated under that Directive. Where water sample results do not comply with specified concentrations there may be a requirement to take appropriate measures, depending on whether non-compliance is a result of chance, natural phenomena, or anthropogenic pollution.
	The EU Water Framework Directive which requires member states to achieve good ecological status for lakes by 2015. This will require that oxygen levels are either maintained or restored at appropriate levels in lakes to support the ecology as set out in the Directive.

Marine Environment (Monitoring)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to determine the (a) levels of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine residues in UK aquatic environments and (b) impact on the environment.

Elliot Morley: The Environment Agency has published a briefing note on fluoxetine, and developed analytical methods for the detection of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in river water. Investigational monitoring for these substances was undertaken in spring 2005 downstream of a small number of large sewage works in the North West and Midlands. For the great majority of samples fluoxetine and norfluoxetine levels were below the limit of detection.
	Further investigational monitoring downstream of sewage works is presently under way at a wider range of rivers sites across England and Wales. No results are available yet.
	The Environment Agency briefing note on fluoxetine is available at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/fluoxetine__1068996.pdf.

Marine Environment (Monitoring)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what research has been carried out (a) by and (b) on behalf of her Department to establish the background levels of (i) cocaine, (ii) LSD, (iii) cannabis and (iv) other recreational drugs in (A) the aquatic environment and (B) drinking water;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to assess the impact on the environment of recreational drug residues in UK aquatic environments.

Elliot Morley: Recreational drugs will be subject to substantial dilution in the aquatic environment, resulting in concentrations many times lower than the doses taken, and background levels which are not thought to present a threat to the aquatic environment. This is supported by the EU Poseidon research report on endocrine disruptor and pharmaceutical residues, and the Environment Agency has not undertaken further research.
	Ozone and carbon treatment installed at drinking water treatment works to remove traces of pesticides is also effective for a wide range of trace organic substances such that no significant quantities of recreational drugs will be detectable in tap water. No research has been commissioned or carried out by Defra.

Meat Imports

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to ensure that imports of beef do not enter the United Kingdom from regions of Brazil which accept movements of beef from those regions where foot and mouth has been detected in cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: Each consignment of imported meat must be accompanied by appropriate health certification. The certificate confirms the territory from which the animals originated. In addition the animal must have been subjected to ante- and post-mortem inspection and the meat must be deboned and matured. This process ensures that imported meat does not present a risk.
	All meat imported into the EU from third countries must enter at designated Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) where it is subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 20 per cent. of consignments undergo physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition during transport.

Nappies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of how many families use washable nappies; and how many tonnes of waste disposable nappies have accounted for in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency's Life Cycle Assessment estimated that 6 per cent. of households with babies in nappies used washable nappies to some extent and that 94 per cent. used disposable nappies only.
	We do not collect information on the amount of disposable nappies used nor of the disposal route.
	The Strategy Unit report Waste Not Want Not estimated that in 200001 nappies comprised around 2 per cent. of household waste, equivalent to 350,000 tonnes.

Nappies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of how many tonnes of disposable nappy waste have been saved through the use of washable nappies since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of how many tonnes of disposable nappy waste have been diverted from landfill since the Waste and Resources Action Programme Real Nappy Programme began in 2003.

Ben Bradshaw: The Strategy Unit report Waste Not Want Not estimated that in 200001 nappies comprised around 2 per cent. of household waste, equivalent to 350,000 tonnes in England.
	The WRAP programme has the objective of diverting 35,000 tonnes of nappy waste from landfill over the period of the programme up to 2006.
	WRAP reports annually on its overall progress in meeting targets, including work under the Real Nappy Programme.
	It is scheduled to report on its achievements for the business plan period up to 2006 next year. At the outset of the programme 91 per cent. of expectant parents said they intended to use disposable nappies. Work done for the environment agency suggested the figure may be higher at 94 per cent. WRAP intends to survey parents again at the end of the programme and to establish the change in intended behaviour. An estimate of the diversion will be made and published by WRAP at that time taking account of the survey and other quantitative evidence.

Nappies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government plan to continue funding the Waste and Resources Action Programme Real Nappy Programme when the current funding for the three years from 2003 expires.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 July 2005, Official Report, column 1156W.

Nappies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government have commissioned the Environment Agency to carry out further work on the environmental impacts of modern reusable nappies.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency recognised, when it published its Life Cycle Analysis in May, that further work would be required to take account of changes in the market for reusable nappies and other developments since the survey work for the study was undertaken. The scope and timing of this further work is currently under discussion.

Nappies

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many disposable nappies she estimates were (a) used and (b) disposed of by (i) landfill, (ii) incineration and (iii) other means in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 955W.

Pesticides

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are taken to monitor the impact of pesticides on those living in localities where spraying occurs.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 November 2005
	Anyone who feels their health may have been affected by pesticides, whether by a one-off or a longer term exposure, should report it to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Health and Safety Executive staff investigate complaints involving ill health arising as a result of a work activity. Once an investigation is complete details of investigated cases are sent for examination by the HSE's Pesticides Incident Appraisal Panel (PIAP). PIAP reviews all the reports and publishes its conclusions in an annual report which is reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. Following recommendations in the recent report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) on Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders the Government will be reviewing these arrangements.

Pet Cemeteries

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to reach a conclusion on the Environment Agency's recommendation on the treatment of pet cemeteries under the EU landfill directive.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is currently investigating the scope for taking an alternative approach to the regulation of pet cemeteries. My officials are working with their Environment Agency counterparts to assess the potential benefits of each alternative option identified.

Pigeons

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is the expected response time to a report of unusual die-off in pigeons or other wild birds to the departmental help-line by a departmental representative; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: During normal office hours, following a call to the Defra help line, an immediate initial assessment is made and if necessary the caller is referred to a VLA (Veterinary Laboratories Agency) laboratory in England and Wales or an SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) laboratory in Scotland. Outside normal office hours, if necessary, the caller will be referred to the State Veterinary Service. If required, carcase collection by a representative from the State Veterinary Service or Rural Development Service will be arranged. The response time will depend on an overall assessment of the die off.

Radioactive Waste

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the volume in cubic metres of (a) high level, (b) intermediate level and (c) low level stocks of radioactive waste in (i) 2010, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2030, assuming projected closure of nuclear power stations occurs.

Elliot Morley: The estimated volumes, expressed in cubic metres of conditioned (a) high level and (b) intermediate levels stocks of radioactive waste in 2010, 2020 and 2030 respectively are given in the table. It has been assumed that the projected closure of nuclear power stations occurs.
	
		Cubic metres
		
			 Date High level Intermediate level 
		
		
			 2010 1,350 107,000 
			 2020 1,510 128,000 
			 2030 1,510 143,000 
		
	
	Since it is anticipated that the approximate annual arisings of 10,000 cubic metres of low level radioactive waste will be disposed of as it arises, the stocks in storage will remain low, but not quantified, over this time period.

Regional Advisory Council for North Western Waters

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on UK participation in the Regional Advisory Council for North Western Waters.

Ben Bradshaw: A wide range of the UK catching sector (such as producer organisations and those who represent processors) and other interest groups (such as consumer and conservation groups) are participating in the Regional Advisory Council for North Western Waters, on the General Assembly, the Executive Committee and various working groups.
	Defra and the Devolved Administrations have been actively supporting the establishment process (I attended the inaugural General Assembly meeting on 30 September 2005) and participating as active observers in the first set of meetings that were held on 7 and 8 November.

Renewable Heat Obligation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the Task Force on Biomass ruled out a renewable heat obligation.

Elliot Morley: The Task Force's views on this subject are set out in its report which was published on 25 October and in the earlier emerging conclusions and draft recommendations report of August 2005. They considered a scheme whereby an obligation would be held by the suppliers of the fossil fuels from which heat is produced, and renewable heat certificates would be granted to heat producers and users who could demonstrate that they had substituted renewable heat for fossil-fired heat. However, they judged that such a scheme would be complex since most heat is not supplied by commercial companies but is produced by domestic and industrial/commercial end-users by using purchased fuel in boilers which they themselves own. They reported that a fundamental flaw in the proposal was that the obligation would rest with a supplier who had no control over the many, varied and often small users and producers of heat. In view of the complexities, they also noted that it would take considerable time to draw up a suitable scheme. They concluded that quicker progress would be achieved by offering capital grants to aid all biomass heating boilers and the heat element of combined heat and power (CHP) biomass-fuelled plants.

Secondments

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the secondees from British Nuclear Fuel Group (a) working and (b) who have worked during the last 12 months in her Department; what their (i) job role and title and (ii) grade is; and what the responsibilities were of each of the secondees.

Elliot Morley: There are no secondees from British Nuclear Fuel Group working, or who have worked, during the last 12 months in the Department.

Sewerage Discharges

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sewerage discharges into the sea were permitted in each of the last five years at (a) Goodrington beach, (b) Paignton beach, (c) Preston beach, (d) Torre Abbey Sands, (e) Meadfoot beach and (f) Oddicombe beach; and how many sewerage discharges have been recorded at each location in each year.

Elliot Morley: The following table presents the intermittent sewer overflows discharging to sea associated with the beaches in the question. Sewer overflows are needed to prevent flooding, and the overloading of the sewage treatment works, when the additional rainwater run-off collected by the Torbay sewerage system exceeds its design capacity.
	
		
			 Beach name Associated combined sewer overflows (CSOs)  to sea 
		
		
			 (a) Paignton beach Roundham Road 
			  Paignton Green Tank 
			   
			 (b) Preston beach Preston Green Tank 
			   
			 (c) Torre Abbey Sands Beacon Hill 
			  Fleet Walk No 1 
			  Fleet Walk No 2 
			   
			 (d) Meadfoot beach Ilsham Valley Pumping Station 
			  Ilsham Marine Drive 
			   
			 (e) Oddicombe beach No sea outfalls associated with this beach 
		
	
	In addition, two other emergency overflows: Clennon Valley Pumping StationGoodrington beachand Fleet Walk Pumping StationTorre Abbey Sandsare also consented in case of equipment failure.
	All sewer overflows are consented by the Environment Agency. The design standards and consents have been set to ensure compliance of the receiving waters with the EC bathing waters, and where applicable EC shellfish waters, directives. The design standard for the overflows associated with:
	Paignton and Preston beaches are predicted to result in no more than three significant spills each bathing season (May to September);
	Torre Abbey Sands are to achieve an appropriate flow of sewage going for treatment;
	Meadfoot beach are for Ilsham Valley Pumping Station to on average have no spills for 98.2 per cent. of the bathing season, and for Ilsham Marine Drive to achieve an appropriate flow of sewage going for treatment.
	As the sewerage company has implemented the design standards agreed with the Environment Agency, it is not considered necessary to monitor the overflows. Therefore, although I cannot provide information on the recorded overflow discharges, the Environment Agency expect:
	the number of significant overflows to be less than three each bathing season for those associated with Paignton and Preston beaches; and
	for Torre Abbey Sands and Meadfoot beaches the overflows are predicted to operate more frequently but to achieve the design standards.
	All the listed bathing waters consistently meet the mandatory standard of the bathing waters directive, and often the higher guideline standards.

Snowfall

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is the predicted future annual number of days when there is snowfall for (a) London, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Bristol and (d) Inverness in (i) 2010, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2030 and (iv) 2050.

Elliot Morley: In April 2002, the Department published new Climate Change Scenarios for the UK. These scenarios include information on total winter snowfall amounts, but not number of snowfall days. Snowfall totals decline substantially over the whole UK and in all scenarios, with the largest percentage reductions around the coast and in the English lowlands.
	While there are no robust estimates at the scale of individual cities, the scenarios indicate that in the London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Inverness areas snowfall could be reduced by up to 55, 50, 57 and 59 per cent. respectively, by the 2050s (compared to the 196190 average baseline), depending on the degree of future climate change.
	For the particular years in question a general scaling back of the UK-wide data gives the following estimates of the reduction in snowfall over these periods, depending on whether there is a low or high degree of climate change:
	
		Percentage
		
			  Reduction 
		
		
			 2010 17 to 30 
			 2020 22 to 38 
			 2030 27 to 47 
			 2050 37 to 65 
		
	
	These figures represent general trends, not predictions of the amount of snowfall in specific years, which will be greatly influenced by natural year-to-year variability, particularly in the first few decades of the century.
	Further information is available in the full report in the Libraries of both Houses, and more information may be available when the UK Climate Change Scenarios are updated in 2007.

State Veterinary Service

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many senior veterinary posts there were in the State Veterinary Service in 1997; and how many there are in 200506.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The State Veterinary Service was a very different organisation in 1997 and so any comparison with today would not be comparing like with like. The Veterinary Field Service was a part of the State Veterinary Service at the time. In terms of operations and responsibilities, it was the Veterinary Field Service that would equate most closely to today's State Veterinary Service.
	The Veterinary Field Service was organised along regional lines, with five senior vets responsible for operations within their region. These posts had management responsibility for a number of local animal health divisional offices (AHDOs), all headed by a divisional veterinary manager (DVM). There were 23 AHDOs in total.
	The State Veterinary Service (SVS) became an executive agency on 1 April 2005. In order to better manage and co-ordinate operations, both in normal circumstances and during a disease emergency, the agency has implemented a new structure during this year. The agency's corporate management team includes an operations director, strategic planning director and professional services director, who are all senior veterinary staff. The professional services director is also the Chief Veterinary Officer for Scotland. The head of operations in Scotland is also a senior vet. A new role of lead divisional veterinary manager (LDVM) has also been created. The organisation has seven LDVMs and a further 17 divisional veterinary managers.
	Although the structure of the organisation has changed, senior veterinary staff still have a key role in managing the SVS' delivery of animal health and welfare policies throughout GB.

Water/Sewerage Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the sustainability of water supplies over the next 12 months; and what estimate she has made of the level of financial investment required to ensure adequate water supplies are available over the next five years, broken down by region.

Elliot Morley: Low winter rainfall may cause supply difficulties for some water companies in 2006. By February 2006 the Environment Agency should have sufficient data to make an evidence-based assessment and advise Government on the prospects for water resources next year based on rainfall, river flows, groundwater and reservoir levels.
	It is for water companies to plan the investment necessary to deliver their services, including the necessary financial provision, and it is for Ofwat, in the light of companies' plans, to ensure that companies carry out and are able to finance their functions. In its recent periodic review Ofwat set water price limits for 2005 to 2010 in the light of water companies' business plans for that period.

Water/Sewerage Services

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much water was supplied by water companies to consumers in the last year for which figures are available; what this represents per household; and what percentage of tap water supplied is estimated to be used for drinking purposes.

Elliot Morley: The Office of Water Services' (Ofwat) report Security of Supply, leakage and the efficient use of water 200405 states that 8,700 megalitres a day is supplied to domestic customers by water companies in England and Wales. This equates to 3,175,500 megalitres of water being supplied in 200405.
	The report also confirms that water companies in England and Wales estimate that average household consumption was 150 litres/head/day in 200405. Of this average, the estimated proportion of water used for drinking purposes, which includes water use within cooking and for food preparation, is 7 per cent.

Water/Sewerage Services

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average monthly cost to consumers is of (a) water services and (b) sewerage services in each water supply area in 200506 (i) in total and (ii) broken down by those who were (A) metered and (B) unmetered.

Elliot Morley: The average monthly cost to households of water and sewerage services is set out in the following tables, broken down by company area and by measured and unmeasured supply. The figures are estimates based on forecast data provided to Ofwat by companies.
	
		
		
			  Water Sewerage 
			 200405 Unmeasured Measured Total Unmeasured Measured Total 
		
		
			 Water and sewerage companies   
			 Anglian 13.17 9.67 11.17 16.58 12.25 14.17 
			 Dwr Cymru 12.75 8.75 11.83 16.58 9.50 14.92 
			 Essex and Suffolk 13.25 9.67 9.25
			 Northumbrian 9.50 7.83 11.92 12.08 10.33 11.83 
			 Severn Trent 11.25 9.42 10.75 10.42 9.83 10.25 
			 Southwest 14.75 9.67 12.17 26.92 16.17 21.17 
			 Southern 9.08 8.58 8.92 16.83 13.92 16.00 
			 Thames 12.92 11.08 12.50 8.58 8.33 8.50 
			 United Utilities 11.58 10.33 11.33 13.08 11.67 12.83 
			 Wessex 12.92 9.67 11.75 14.83 11.08 13.75 
			 Yorkshire (incl. York) 11.08 9.25 10.50 12.08 9.92 11.50 
		
	
	
		
		
			 Water only companies
		
		
			 Bournemouth and W Hampshire 11.42 9.50 10.67 
			 Bristol 11.08 9.58 10.67 
			 Cambridge 9.58 7.83 8.67 
			 Dee Valley 10.75 7.42 9.58 
			 Folkestone and Dover 14.58 10.58 12.75 
			 Mid Kent 13.00 10.33 12.08 
			 Portsmouth 6.58 6.67 6.58 
			 South East 13.58 10.83 12.75 
			 South Staffs 8.75 8.33 8.67 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 12.58 9.50 12.00 
			 Tendring Hundred 17.00 11.58 13.58 
			 Three Valleys 12.33 10.17 11.75

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list the rates of pay of lawyers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service, broken down by grade.

Mike O'Brien: The following list shows the rates of pay of lawyers employed the Crown Prosecution Service, broken down by grade. The rates of pay are also split to show the London and National pay rates.
	London pay bands
	Pay band C1 London
	26,954
	27,704
	28,704
	30,610
	32,159
	Pay band C2 London
	31,880
	35,095
	36,966
	38,839
	42,581
	44,453
	45,389
	47,260
	49,132
	51,082
	53,667
	Pay band D London
	45,389
	46,790
	47,466
	48,888
	50,306
	51,724
	53,915
	56,190
	59,033
	Pay band E London
	58,064
	59,314
	60,564
	61,814
	63,064
	64,314
	65,565
	National pay bands
	Pay band C1 National
	25,648
	26,398
	27,398
	29,334
	30,819
	Pay band C2 National
	30,138
	34,111
	35,084
	36,042
	37,213
	38,669
	40,936
	42,305
	43,759
	45,388
	47,685
	Pay band D National
	41,970
	43,077
	43,966
	45,388
	46,759
	47,505
	49,927
	52,040
	Pay band E National
	54,728
	56,124
	57,520
	58,916
	60,312
	61,708
	63,104

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Agricultural Subsidies

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account is taken of the level of public subsidy for agriculture in developing countries in deciding allocations of UK development aid.

Gareth Thomas: DFID operates an annual review of budgets that includes deciding how much money to allocate to each developing country. The process involves dialogue at all levels, starting with country offices and culminating in approval by DFID's management board and Ministers.
	To help inform the discussion, DFID uses a financial model to generate suggested allocations for bilateral country programmes. The model takes account of both the extent of a country's poverty and the likely effectiveness of aid in reducing its poverty. Vulnerability to economic shocks and the amount of aid which countries are likely to receive from other donors are also taken into account. In addition to the model's results, the regional divisions responsible for DFID's bilateral country programmes analyse a range of factors when considering allocations. These include the effectiveness of multilateral channels, conflict and reconstruction needs, inequality and social exclusion, our historical engagement and the political environment.
	The central process to allocate resources between developing countries and regions does not give specific consideration to levels of public subsidy for agriculture. However, at country level, DFID allocates its resources to support national strategies for growth and poverty reduction. DFID country programmes work with national governments to identify the most effective way for DFID to support these strategies. Discussions with governments on the allocation of DFID resources at country level are likely to take into account the broad range of policies and programmes set out in national strategies.

Bolivia

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has held with the World Bank in relation to (a) water privatisation in Bolivia and (b) the need to consider the implications of the projects it funds for poor citizens in each recipient country.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not held any discussions with the World Bank on water privatisation in Bolivia as DFID does not work and has not worked in the water or sanitation sector in Bolivia.
	DFID supports a World Bank managed facility called the Global Partnership for Output-Based Aid (GPOBA). GPOBA supports the design and piloting of performance based approaches for targeting public funding to subsidise the delivery of basic services to poor people. In early 2005, officials discussed with the managers of GPOBA, the possible involvement of GPOBA in piloting subsidies for water connections in El Alto, but this has not happened.
	The UK Government's position on water privatisation in general is made clear in our policy on conditionality, available on the DFID website at www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/conditionality.pdf. The Government do not make its aid conditional on policy decisions by partner governments, or attempt to impose policy choices on them, including in the area of water privatisation. Where appropriate, DFID responds to requests from developing country governments for assistance to help improve the efficiency of water utilities. If a country has held an extensive public consultation exercise and has decided that it wishes to involve the private sector in the management of water, then DFID can provide them with the information to help them to do so.
	The UK Government also uses its position on the Board of the World Bank and IMF to influence their approach to conditionality in general, and conditionality in sensitive areas such as water privatisation in particular. The UK led calls for a review of the Bank's policy and practice on conditionality, and this has just concluded. New best practice principles have been endorsed, which accord well with the UK approach, and we will be monitoring their implementation carefully.
	The World Bank systematically considers the impacts of its operations on poor people in recipient countries. The Bank's mission is to reduce global poverty and all its operations are designed to improve the lives of the poor. The Bank also uses a range of tools to assess the likely impact of its operations on specific groups of poor people. When the Bank lends for specific projects, it uses safeguard policies which are designed to prevent and mitigate undue harm to people and their environment in the development process. When the Bank lends to support countries' policy and institutional reforms, it conducts Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) which assesses the likely impact of policy reforms on different groups, with a particular focus on the poor and vulnerable. Both safeguard policies and PSIA are used before projects are discussed at the Bank Board, and often result in changes to project design. More information on both can be found on the World Bank website, at www.worldbank.org/safeguards and www.worldbank.org/psia.

Central America

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance has been provided by his Department to help with the recovery from the damage in Central America caused by hurricanes.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provided a total of 250,000 of emergency relief to Guatemala and El Salvador after Hurricane Stan. This support was provided through Plan International UK, 103,000 (70 per cent. for Guatemala and 30 per cent. for El Salvador) and through Care International UK, 100,000 for Guatemala, and 50,000 for El Salvador.
	DFID also supports relief and reconstruction through its contributions to multilateral agencies. The European Commission Humanitarian Department (ECHO) provided 5.7 million (including 18 per cent. DFID contributions) to support those affected by flooding and mudslides in Guatemala and El Salvador.
	The Government of Guatemala has requested that the World Bank focus part of its loan to the Ministry of Health, to help rebuild seven local hospitals and clinics in the affected area. Other multilateral agencies are considering how their programmes in Guatemala and El Salvador might support reconstruction efforts.
	During Hurricane Beta, DFID asked the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to place its frigate, HMS Cumberland, located in the Caribbean, on stand by and offer its assistance to the Government of Nicaragua. This assistance was not required as the hurricane changed course. The Government of Nicaragua is providing emergency food and shelter from existing resources. DFID will provide 30,000 to Nicaraguan Atlantic Coast civil society and universities to work with affected riverside and coastal communities, helping them to reduce their dependence on food aid over the next six months.

Commonwealth Countries

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which country in the Commonwealth is the least developed; and what funding his Department provided to it in 200405.

Hilary Benn: Using the amount of gross national income (GNI) per capita as an indicator of development, Sierra Leone with the lowest GNI per capita could be regarded as the least developed Commonwealth country. In 200405 DFID provided 27.3 million in development assistance to Sierra Leone. DFID also provides aid contributions to multilateral institutions some of which will also benefit Sierra Leone. The estimated UK share of the multilateral aid benefiting Sierra Leone for 2004 is not yet available; however in 2003, the estimated amount was 6.3 million.

Damages

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the nature of the claim was in each case.

Hilary Benn: As from 1 November 2004, the 10 largest amounts of compensation paid by DFID for damages, and the nature of the claims, were as shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Nature of claim Amount () 
		
		
			 Compensation paid to a member of staff for the loss of personal effects 15,378.28 
			 Interest and penalty payment to the Inland Revenue 11,320.00 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 5,832.33 
			 Compensation paid to a landlord for destruction, by terrorists, of a DFID rented house in Nepal 3,756.00 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 3,473.14 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 3,151.00 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 3,004.10 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 2,825.35 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 2,214.88 
			 Compensation paid to a pensioner for arrears of payment due. 1,899.67

Famine (Africa)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the risk of famine in each country in Africa for which the UN has issued a warning during 2005.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 11 November 2005
	DFID has a group of humanitarian advisers at regional and country level that routinely monitor the food situation and the potential for food crises across Africa. They draw information from a range UN and other monitoring instruments, including famine early warning systems, and food security and nutritional data produced by governments and non-governmental organisations (NGO)s. They also participate in country and regional assessments of the food security situation on a regular basis. This information, including that contained in UN warnings and appeals, is used to determine our response.

Female Circumcision

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department in relation to the practice of female circumcision.

Gareth Thomas: Female circumcision or 'Female Genital Mutilation' (FGM) is a fundamental violation of the human rights of women and girls and is explicitly denounced in a number of human rights treaties and conventions. It is estimated that the number of women and girls who have undergone genital mutilation is between 100 and 140 million and that 2 million girls undergo FGM each year.
	DFID support to reduce the prevalence of this harmful practice forms part of our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to improve maternal and child health and to promote gender equality and women's empowerment.
	DFID provides support to help lower FGM through our funding of relevant UN organisations and NGOs. We are providing nearly 500,000 through our Civil Society Challenge Fund to Plan UK for a project in Mali enhancing the capability of local organisations in the fight against FGM at grassroots level. As well as this, in 200405 DFID provided annual core funding to support the work of multilateral organisations, including 19 million for UNICEF, 20 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 12.5 million for the World Health Organisation (WHO) and 3 million to the United Nations Women's Fund (UNIFEM), which all advocate and support programmes to combat FGM globally, not only because of its harmful impact on the reproductive and sexual health of women, but also because it is a violation of woman and girls fundamental human rights.
	DFID provides indirect funding through social development and health programmes that support rights-based work at country level. DFID is also supporting the forthcoming United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) African conference in Senegal, which will bring together parliamentarians, religious and traditional leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and former practitioners to plan actions to help eradicate the practice of FGM.

Gormo-Lhasa Railway

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what occasions in the last 12 months (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have met the Bombadier Company to discuss their involvement in the building of the Gormo-Lhasa railway; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Neither I nor any DFID official has had any contact with the Bombardier Company in the last 12 months to discuss their involvement in the Gormo-Lhasa railway.

Labour Exploitation

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice his Department gives to UK companies on avoiding the exploitation of cheap labour in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: The Government are committed to and encourage the highest standards of business behaviour. This includes support for ethical sourcing practices that should ensure businesses take account of the labour conditions within their supply chains. The UK, (led by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) gives strong support to international initiatives such as the UN Global Compact and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multi-national Enterprises which encourage the implementation of internationally agreed labour standards.
	DFID welcomes dialogue on corporate social responsibility with multi-nationals and supports the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which offers advice and training to companies wishing to implement ethical trading practices. ETI corporate members adopt a labour code of conduct that includes the core labour standards of the International Labour Organisation. They work with their suppliers, in collaboration with trade unions and non-governmental organisations, to improve working conditions in their supply chains and develop and disseminate best practice based on practical experience.

Small Fruit Growers

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is giving to small fruit growers in developing countries to (a) meet the demands of producers who will purchase only fruit of a specified shape and size and (b) resist incentives to use pesticides with potentially harmful effects.

Gareth Thomas: DFID recognises that fruit production and horticulture more generally, is playing an increasingly important role in driving agricultural growth and providing sustainable livelihoods for millions of poor households. In India for example, horticulture already accounts for over half the value of agricultural output.
	However, increasingly stringent product standards set by the retail trade can create particular difficulties for small producers seeking access to valuable European markets. To address this DFID has recently begun a three year programme working with retailers, importers, standard-setting bodies (in particular the Euro-Retailer Produce Working GroupGood Agricultural Practices (EUREPGAP) and producers aimed at ensuring that standards, such as requirements to produce fruit of a specified shape and size, do not discriminate against small-scale and developing country producers.
	DFID is also active in a number of developing countries where we fund projects to support suppliers to meet supermarket standards. For example in Kenya, in the last two years, DFID has given approximately 582,000 in support for export horticultural development. An additional 290,000 will be spent by June 2006. Much of these funds are spent assisting smallholders to cope with the process and cost of compliance with EUREPGAP standards.
	Buyers are extremely concerned about the use of pesticides with potentially harmful effects and European regulations and market health and safety requirements are increasingly difficult for developing country exporters to meet. At the request of African, Caribbean and Pacific country suppliers, the European Commission has put in place the Pesticides Initiative Programme; it aims to provide concrete responses to fruit and vegetable producers and exporters adaptation difficulties and assists suppliers to conform to the expectation of European buyers.
	DFID supports the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) through a network of 15 International Research Centres and Global Programmes. Research is conducted on all major world crops of relevance to the poor with particular emphasis on crop improvement through genetic enhancement to withstand stresses of various kinds including attack by pests and diseases. New pest and disease resistant crop varieties significantly reduce the need for applications of harmful pesticides.
	DFID's bilateral Crop Protection Programme has developed successful technical solutions known as Integrated Pest Management whereby crop husbandry and natural resource management methods are systematically combined to reduce or eliminate the incidence of pests thereby reducing the need for pesticide applications.

Somalia

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what Somalia's outstanding debt is; how much international debt relief was given to Somalia following the G8 summit in July; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The World Bank's latest estimate for Somalia's external debt is just under $3 billion, on which they have not been able to make repayments for many years.
	The G8 proposal discussed in July, will cancel 100 per cent. of the debts owed by heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) to the International Monetary Fund and the concessional funds of the World Bank and the African Development Bank. To qualify, countries must first complete the HIPC Initiative.
	In order to benefit from the exceptional debt relief given under the HIPC Initiative, Somalia would need to establish a minimum track record of macro-economic stability, demonstrate a commitment to poverty reduction by developing an interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, and clear its arrears. The fundamental priority for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia now is to establish political stability, with the support of the international community, and by doing so begin to shore up national and international credibility. Once political reconciliation is under way, donors will clearly need to focus on what support needs to be provided to help Somalia address its unsustainable debt and arrears. The UK will remain actively involved in helping to find solutions to Somalia's problems.

Somalia

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial aid the UK has given to Somalia since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Since 1997 up to the end of financial year 200405 (the latest period for which figures are available), the UK provided 137,000 of assistance to Somalia that is categorised as financial aid. This was in relation to a residual obligation to pay the pensions of expatriate officers who saw service in Somalia prior to independence. Details of these amounts are provided in the following table, which also shows the total amount of UK bilateral aid, 19.47 million, to Somalia over this period. The UK also provides contributions to multilateral institutions some of which funding has also been benefiting Somalia.
	DFID's programme for Somalia in the financial year 200506 is expected to amount to 13.2 million, and is focused on governance programmes, service delivery and humanitarian assistance.
	
		Total UK Bilateral Aid For Somalia 19972005
		
			  thousand 
			  Financial Aid Technical Co-operation Grants and Other Aid in Kind Humanitarian Assistance Total UK Bilateral Aid 
		
		
			 199798 20 55 345 1,047 1,467 
			 199899 20 45 473 1,079 1,617 
			 19992000 19 9 350 372 751 
			 200001 17 11 218 1,235 1,480 
			 200102 16 92 55 1,575 1,739 
			 200203 16 8 180 2,920 3,124 
			 200304 15 12 781 3,165 3,973 
			 200405 14 0 2,263 3,043 5,320 
		
	
	Source:
	Statistics on International Development

Sustainable Development

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is providing to the poorest countries to promote the sustainable development of local growers, farmers, manufacturers and retailers.

Gareth Thomas: In 200405, DFID provided more than 83 million in support to rural livelihoods in low income countries. DFID's forthcoming agriculture policy paper, emphasises DFID's continuing commitment to agriculture as an important component of poverty reducing growth and highlights the following priorities for action: creating policies and procedures that support agriculture; targeting public spending more effectively; tackling market failure; filling the agricultural finance gap; spreading the benefits of new technology; improving access to land and secure property rights and reducing distortions in international agricultural markets.
	More generally, DFID is working to support the development of a vibrant private sector in developing countries. Much of our work focuses on support for establishing a sound business environment to enable domestic investors and entrepreneurs to operate productively.
	Specific areas of support include assistance to developing countries to simplify and streamline administrative and regulatory frameworks to provide greater incentives and opportunities for small business people to enter the formal economy; support to develop financial systems that provide financial services, including micro-credit to small businesses; support for programmes providing entrepreneurship and basic business skills training to small entrepreneurs, including women and young people; and support for programmes, such as Challenge Funds, that enable small farmers, traders and manufacturers to link up with larger businesses and participate in industry supply chains.

Water Privatisation Projects

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make it his policy not to spend UK aid money on water privatisation projects that result from (a) World Bank and IMF conditions and (b) conditions imposed by other Governments.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's policy on conditionality sets out how we intend to strike a balance between ensuring aid is used effectively for poverty reduction, strengthening countries leadership of their own development and making aid more predictable. It makes clear that we will use conditions to ensure aid is used effectively, but we will minimise any negative effects of these conditions on partner Government leadership and aid predictability. In particular we will not use conditionality to impose specific policy choices on partner Governments, including in sensitive areas such as privatisation.
	The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are also both committed to the principle of country ownership of reforms. The World Bank's 2005 review of its use of conditionality resulted in five good practice principles for conditionality, the first of which is country ownership. At the annual meetings of the World Bank in September 2005, we successfully pressed for agreement that the Bank would report back next year on the implementation of these principles.
	The Paris Declaration re-affirmed donors' views that countries must lead their own development process. DFID strongly supports this approach. Countries should lead their own policy making processes and are free to decide to implement market-based reforms in the water sector. In cases where Governments are committed to reform of the water sector and request our support, we would be ready to consider assistance to ensure policy options are thoroughly considered, and the appropriate regulation is put in place so that affordable services are delivered to poor people. In 2004, of the 93 million DFID spent in country programmes on urban, rural and humanitarian water supply and sanitation services, 95 per cent. was spent through Governments, not for profit or humanitarian agencies. Rather than focussing on who delivers these services we concentrate on ensuring that services are delivered to the poor and that Governments can make informed choices between approaches.

World Trade

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made under the UK presidency of the EU to ensure that poor countries are represented at the World Trade Organisation talks.

Gareth Thomas: There are three main ways in which we have supported and continue to support developing countries in trade negotiations, including the current Round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) trade talks.
	First, through assistance to help countries formulate and develop their own trade policies, taking account of their domestic and regional circumstances, second, by helping countries build their capacity to negotiate these policies with their partners, either regionally or internationally and thirdly, we help the actual participation of developing countries in trade talks themselves. For example, we have provided countries such as Lesotho and Zambia with the resources they need to secure analysis and expertise in order to help determine their own trade policies.
	We have supported regional institutions that in turn support their developing country members in trade analysis and negotiations. For example through funding trade advisors in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariats and providing resources for the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, the body that helps Caribbean countries co-ordinate and pursue their negotiating efforts, not just in the WTO but in terms of other agreements such as the Cotonou Economic Partnership Agreements.
	We have funded advisory support and resources to the Least Developed Country (LDC) Group chaired by Zambia, to develop their position and attendance at the Hong Kong WTO ministerial and with other donors, we contribute to a trust fund that will enable least Developed Countries (LDCs) to attend the forthcoming WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Leasing Costs

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of leasing or hiring (a) helicopters and (b) fixed wing aircraft from commercial contractors in each year since 2000.

Adam Ingram: The cost of the leasing or hiring of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft from commercial contractors in each year since 2000 is shown in the following table. The data shown have been gathered from centrally held records. A number of other areas within the Ministry of Defence hire or lease aircraft but details of these contracts are not held centrally and could be supplied only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		 million
		
			 Financial year Helicopters Fixed wing aircraft 
		
		
			 200001 29 43 
			 200102 29 46 
			 200203 30 47 
			 200304 40 45 
			 200405 43 50 
		
	
	In compiling this answer, an error in the calculation of the projected cost for leasing or hiring helicopters and fixed wing aircraft in financial year 200506, given in response to a previous parliamentary question of 25 October 2005, Official Report, columns 24548W, came to light. The cost for financial year 200506 is likely to be in the region of 95 million and not as previously reported, 74 million.

Armed Forces (Northern Ireland)

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on assisting the prosecution of current and former members of the armed forces involved in deaths in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In any investigation into a death in Northern Ireland involving current or former members of the armed forces, the Ministry of Defence will provide the police with whatever assistance they may properly require.

Armed Forces (Northern Ireland)

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role is in Headquarters Northern Ireland of the G2 Historic Investigation Branch; and how many people are employed therein.

Adam Ingram: The role of the G2 Historic Information Team (HIT) is to collate information held within Headquarters Northern Ireland (HQNI) in response to requests from Public Inquiries.
	The G2 HIT is a joint military/civilian team, consisting of four personnel.

Army Recruitment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost has been of British Army recruitment campaigns in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: Headquarters Recruiting Group, a part of the Army Training and Recruiting Agency, is responsible for marketing recruitment for the Regular and Territorial Army. Marketing costs for the last three Financial Years are detailed in the table, and covered activities including: national advertising, television, radio, response handling, magazines, regional marketing, education and citizenship, national events and exhibitions and Camouflage (Youth programme). Staff costs are excluded.
	
		
			 Financial Year Cost of marketing ( million) 
		
		
			 200203 20.517 
			 200304 20.325 
			 200405 33.215 
		
	
	Additional funding was provided to the recruiting operation in 200405-to counter the difficult recruiting environment, which grew towards the end of the year. The bulk of the additional expenditure was spent on television advertisements.

Army Tanks

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tanks are operated by the Army; and how many are in storage.

Adam Ingram: There are 385 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks operated by the Army, of which 38 are currently held in long-term storage. There are a further 32 tanks in temporary storage pending redeployment to Front Line Commands.

Bicester Camp

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps have been taken to address bullying among members of the (a) 23 Pioneer Regiment and (b) Royal Logistics Corps at Bicester camp, Oxfordshire, in the past two years;
	(2)  what steps have been taken to address bullying among members of the 23 Pioneer Regiment and Royal Logistics Corps at Bicester camp, Oxfordshire in the last two years.

Don Touhig: The Army has a policy of zero tolerance as far as bullying is concerned and any allegations made are thoroughly investigated, with disciplinary action taken where appropriate. All commanders are made fully aware of their responsibility to protect others from the differing forms of harassment, physical and mental intimidation and discrimination. This is reinforced throughout all military training.
	There is no evidence to suggest a culture of bullying at Bicester but, like all Army personnel, members of 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal Logistic Corps have access to a wide-ranging welfare support network, which includes a confidential help line. Welfare support is publicised widely throughout the Army.

Chinook Mark 2/2a

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Chinook Mark 2/2a fleet to reach its out-of-service date.

Adam Ingram: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 March 2005, Official Report, column 1232W to the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames).

Congestion Charge

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid to Transport for London in congestion charges since they were introduced.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence vehicles are divided into separate categories: 'Green Fleet' (camouflaged/operational vehicles) which are exempt from congestion charges and 'White Fleet' (administrative vehicles) which are liable for congestion charges.
	White Fleet vehicle congestion charges are paid locally by units or individual. Records of congestion charge payments are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department since May 1997, broken down by Act.

Don Touhig: holding answer 9 November 2005
	The Ministry of Defence has created no criminal offences in legislation since May 1997.

Criminal Records

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Royal Navy have a criminal record, broken down by type of crime.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Decommissioned Nuclear Submaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of storing decommissioned nuclear submarines in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Financial Year Decommissioned nuclear submarine storage costs ( million) 
		
		
			 199798 1.3 
			 199899 0.5 
			 19992000 0.6 
			 200001 2.3 
			 200102 1.0 
			 200203 0.2 
			 200304 1.6 
			 200405 2.5 
		
	
	These figures include the cost of monitoring and maintenance work that is regularly earned out to ensure the continued safe storage of the submarines as well as the cost of berthing them. Maintenance costs are not included for the submarines stored at Rosyth in Financial Year 199798 as this information is no longer held.

Delivery Systems

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make representations to (a) the German Government and (b) NATO on the sale of delivery systems to Israel.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	Germany, as a party to the EU code of conduct, would look at the sale of delivery systems to any country on a case by case basis in accordance with the strict criteria of the code. We have no reason to question German judgment on this. Access by Israel as a NATO partner, to the NATO Maintenance and Service Agency (NAMSA) is currently under discussion. No agreement has yet been reached. The UK would only agree to such an arrangement if it was clearly understood that requests from Israel would be carefully examined on a case-by-case basis, were consistent with the UK's consolidated criteria on export licensing and approved by the NATO Atlantic Council.

Fixed-wing Capability

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to ensure the deployment at sea of an adequate fixed-wing capability beyond 2012; and whether such plans include extending the life of (a) HMS Illustrious, (b) HMS Ark Royal and (c) HMS Invincible.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 November 2005
	The Invincible class carriers and Harrier GR9 are planned to be progressively replaced by the Future Carrier and JCA respectively thereby maintaining a potent fixed-wing capability. During the transition period, we retain the option to deploy Harrier GR9 with the Future Carrier. The ISDs for the Future Carriers will not be set until the main investment decision is taken and therefore it is too soon to determine whether there will be any case for extending the Invincible class carriers in service.

Fleet Requirement (Army)

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the Army's Total Fleet Requirement 2004.

Adam Ingram: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will place a redacted and declassified version of the Army's Total Fleet Requirement 2004 in the Library of the House. The reason for the redaction is that sections of the TFR 2004 paper reveal military planning assumptions, the disclosure of which would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Future Integrated Soldier Technology

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planning assumption is for entry into service of the Future Integrated Soldier Technology; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) project is currently in its Assessment Phase. No decisions on entry into service will be taken before Main Gate.

Gulf War Syndrome

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Servicemen and (b) Servicewomen from Hertfordshire who served in the 199091 Gulf conflict are suffering from diagnosed illnesses.

Don Touhig: Information on all the illnesses reported by veterans of the 199091 Gulf conflict is not held centrally. Although the medical records of individuals who have left the Services are held by each Service at individual central locations, the MOD does not hold records of all illnesses reported after an individual has left the Service. Furthermore, for those still serving, medical records are normally held at their unit medical centre. They are not held in a way that allows the identification of those from Hertfordshire.

Heapey Storage Facility

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the (a) management and (b) security of the Heapey ammunitions storage facility in the event of the closure Royal Ordnance Chorley.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The Heapey magazine facility is owned by BAE Systems Land Systems. The management and security of the facility are matters for the company.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1262W, on literacy and numeracy, how many basic skills tutors are employed in his Department; and how much they are paid.

Don Touhig: Currently there are 42 basic skills tutors directly employed by the Ministry of Defence. The salaries for each basic skills tutor varies according to a number of factors such as number of hours worked, length of service in grade, regional weightings and cost of living allowance for those tutors based overseas. However their basic pay is based on either the teachers' scales in England and Wales ranging from 19,161 to 35,082 or the band D MOD civil service pay scale: 17,072 to 26,626.
	In addition, a further 18 basic skills tutors work within MOD funded entirely by Learning and Skills Council provision.

Military Deployment (Kosovo)

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the presence of British military forces deployed in Kosovo; what plans there are for continuing the deployment; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The UK played a key role in the initial stabilisation of Kosovo, contributing some 13,000 troops to NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR). More recently, our contribution of some 200 troops to KFOR has supported provision of a safe and secure environment in Kosovo. As with all deployments of UK forces overseas, we regularly review force levels and structures. There are currently no plans for significant changes to our contribution to KFOR.

Oil Prices

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of recent oil price rises on general operations for the three branches of the armed forces; what the real terms increase in cash spending has been for each of the armed forces in each of the last four years; and what extra funding has been requested from the Treasury to alleviate the consequences of oil price rises.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 October 2005
	There is a clear relationship over the longer term (though a less predictable one in the shorter term) between changes in the oil price and the costs of fuels used in Defence, with rises in the oil price translating into increased unit costs for fuel for the Department. Fuel price rises have not, however, had an adverse impact on the delivery of Defence outputs, as the Department actively seeks to forecast and plan for movements in fuel prices, in both its forward financial planning and in-year financial management.
	The Department has not requested additional funding from the Treasury to alleviate the consequences for Defence of oil price rises. In line with established practice, the net additional costs of operations, including the costs of fuel consumed on operations continue to be met from the Treasury Reserve. The resource costs of the consumption of fuel, oil and lubricants by the Department in support of operational and non-operational activity in each of the last four years are shown in the table. As the Department's fuel consumption ranges across a number of joint organisations as well as Service budget areas, breaking these figures down by Service could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200101 368 
			 200203 364 
			 200304 370 
			 200405 402

Predictive Diallers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 200405 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres.

Don Touhig: None. Predictive dialling technology is not used by the Ministry of Defence.

Qinetiq

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what value creation targets have been set for Qinetiq; and what implications this has for further non-competitive work allocation by his Department.

Adam Ingram: No specific value creation targets have been set for Qinetiq by MOD. We have, however, sought to enhance the value of our shareholding in Qinetiq through the introduction of The Carlyle Group as our strategic partner in February 2003. On non-competitive work allocation, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1216.

RAF Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the tendering process for RAF Gibraltar air traffic control.

Adam Ingram: The RAF Gibraltar air traffic control requirement was competitively tendered as part of the re-let of the airfield support services requirement at RAF Gibraltar. The tender exercise was undertaken in accordance with MOD guidelines with an invitation to tender issued in February 2005 and an award of contract in August 2005.
	The requirement was initially advertised for expressions of interest in the MOD Contracts Bulletin in June 2004. A total of six companies expressed an interest in the requirement and were issued with invitations to tender. Three companies responded and entered bids which were evaluated under technical and commercial criteria published in the tender documentation, with the award of contract to the National Air Traffic Services as the highest scoring bidder offering the best overall value for money.

Royal Military Police Historic Investigation Team

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many personnel will be involved in the 6 Royal Military Police Historic Investigation Team from (a) the Royal Military Police, (b) the Police Service of Northern Ireland, (c) the Army Prosecutions Service and (d) other sections of his Department;
	(2)  when he expects the first prosecutions to be brought by the 6 Royal Military Police Historic Investigation Team; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many cases are being examined by the 6 Royal Military Police Historic Investigation Team; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the duties of the 6 Royal Military Police Historic Investigation team are; and how many (a) officers, (b) non-commissioned officers and (c) ordinary soldiers are in the team.

Adam Ingram: The 6th Regiment, Royal Military Police (6 RMP) Historic Inquiry Team (HIT) has been established as the focal point in headquarters Northern Ireland for providing information to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) review of all 'troubles' related-deaths. They are not undertaking any investigative responsibilities in relation to this review, nor do they have responsibility for the prosecutions process. Any prosecutions arising from the PSNI review will be carried out by the PSNI.
	Once fully established, the 6 RMP HIT will comprise five non-commissioned officers from the RMP and three Ministry of Defence civilian support staff.
	The PSNI are expected to review some 2000 cases, although each case-file may contain more than one incident of death. The RMP HIT are currently examining their information holdings in order to establish and inform the PSNI whether they hold information relevant to these cases. The RMP HIT remit is to retrieve relevant material regarding specific cases in response to requests for information from the PSNI.

Royal Ordnance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects the supply of components to be affected by the proposed closure of the BAE ordnance factory at Bridgwater.

Adam Ingram: BAE Systems Land Systems will remain responsible for the maintenance of security of supply of components currently manufactured at the Bridgwater factory. We remain confident in their ability to do so.

Royal Ordnance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for security of supply of the proposed closure of the BAE Systems ordnance sites at Bridgewater and Chorley.

Adam Ingram: BAE System Land Systems are responsible for security of supply of ammunition. They have provided detailed plans to the Ministry of Defence on how they intend to achieve this when the Bridgwater and Chorley sites are closed, and we remain confident in their ability to do so.

Royal Ordnance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what types of ordnance are supplied to the armed forces by BAE Systems at (a) Chorley and (b) Bridgewater; and whether arrangements will be put in place to continue the availability of such ordanance from UK sources following their closure.

Adam Ingram: Chorley's main production output is initiators for various natures of munitions but production at the site has been suspended following an industrial incident in March 2005. Current production remains limited to filling and assembling a small number of stores using stocks of previously manufactured compositions.
	The following table lists those items which have, until recently, been manufactured at the Chorley site:
	Item:
	TVE L4
	Cap Conducting. CC No 1
	Cap and Holder (TV23AF)
	L1062.25grnRWY.
	L1062.1grnL
	L106 Delay.
	MDF items and End Fittings for warheads
	6.5grn LZY Detonator and Housing
	Igniter CC
	IEBW 222
	CLC Charge Line Cutting.
	7.62mm SAA Cap -Air
	7.62mm SAA CapLand
	5.56mm SAA Cap
	IEBW 302. Detonator N16
	CERU 201/Cap EBW No1 mk2
	Primer 52
	Cartridge Cable Cutter.
	IEBW 213
	Detonator EEBW N1 Mk2
	The Bridgwater site supplies a range of explosive compounds and products including fillings for warheads, propellants and demolition stores.
	A list of the individual items supplied over the last five years to the MOD or MOD prime contractors by the BAE Systems Land Systems facility at Bridgwater is as follows:
	Items:
	New products
	RF-01-NPM11
	Rowanex 1001 premix
	RF-03-NPM6
	Rowanex 1301 premix
	RF-23-NPM02
	Rowanex 6000 premix
	RP3
	Rowanex 6000, 2400 and Rowanex 2000 binder
	RF-25-NPM01
	Rowanex 1400 premix
	RF-03-NPM37
	Rowanex 1100 premix
	TATB See PBX-N7
	K10
	Rowanite 8001
	Rowanite 8002
	CXM-7
	Premix for PBXN1O9
	PBXN110
	Premix Class 2 Special
	PBXN110
	Premix Class 3 Special
	PBXN-109 filling
	Rowanex 1100 pre-cure
	Rowanex 3601/PBX-N7
	Rowanite 533 BBG
	Rowanite 558 BBG
	BBP75:25 Nocat
	Rowanite 8101
	BOBBA 8
	Rowanex 4400(M)
	Rowanex 2400
	Warheads under PBXN-109
	Demolition products
	POPLIN
	ROMOR
	Giant Viper MLI
	Python
	PE4 bulk
	PE4 Cartridges
	PE6AI
	SX2/Demex 200 bulk
	SX2 Demex 200 sheets
	ECT 63g/m (all lengths)
	Blade 10Og/m (all lengths)
	Blade 240g/m(all lengths)
	Blade 450g/m (all lengths)
	Blade 650g/m (all lengths)
	Blade 1150g/m (all lengths)
	'Old' Bangalore torpedo
	Brixal 75/25
	E-mite
	Paw-Paw
	Demex 400
	Additives
	Styphnic acid
	2:4 DNR
	Processed waste NG acid
	Lead Stannate
	LAP (Lead Aceto Pthalate)
	Basic Copper Salycilate
	BAE Systems Land Systems will remain responsible for the maintenance of security of supply for these products. They have provided detailed plans on how they intend to achieve this and we remain confident in their ability to do so.

Royal Ordnance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 December 1997, Official Report, column 383W on Royal Ordnance, Bridgewater to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Robert Key), what considerations he took into account in approving the joint venture between BAE Systems and Societe Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is aware that discussions took place some years ago between Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems Land Systems) and Societe Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs with a view to a joint venture. No final agreement was reached between the two companies so there was no joint venture.

Royal Ordnance

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with BAE Systems plc over the closure of the Royal Ordnance factories in Bridgwater and Chorley.

Adam Ingram: A number of meetings were held between BAE Systems Land Systems and MOD officials on their proposed closure of the Chorley and Bridgwater sites. The aim of these meetings was to ensure that the company's rationalisation plans provided for continued security of supply as well as offering value for money for the taxpayer.

Royal Ordnance

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel have been seconded to a factory in France from the former Royal Ordnance factory in (a) Chorley and (b) Bridgwater; and whether associated plant has been relocated from the UK to France.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence is aware that discussions took place some years ago between Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems Land Systems) and the Societe National des Poudres et Explosifs (SNPE) with a view to a joint venture. No final agreement was reached between the two companies. Issues relating to secondment and plant relocations are a matter for BAE Systems Land Systems.

Royal Ordnance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land at the Royal Ordnance factory at Chorley has been sold for redevelopment.

Adam Ingram: Questions regarding land sales at BAE Systems Land Systems site at Chorley should be addressed to the company.

Stealth Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are in place to develop a stealth aircraft for the RAF.

Adam Ingram: Stealth is a term used to describe techniques to reduce visual, infra-red and radar observability. Such low observability characteristics are at the heart of the US/UK Joint Strike Fighter, the selected solution for the Joint Combat Aircraft programme, due in service next decade. In addition, the UK continues to explore the underlying technologies contributing to low observability, to ensure that the technology base exists to meet any potential future capability requirement.

Vanguard Nuclear Submarines

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the end of service life is of each of the four Vanguard-class nuclear-powered submarines.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2123W, to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr. Lewis).

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Housewives

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assistance and support is offered by the Government to married mothers, with a husband in work, who choose to stay at home to bring up their children.

Meg Munn: Families have substantially benefited from the changes in the tax and benefit system. As a result of the Government's reforms to the tax and benefit system since 1997, by October 2005, in real terms, families with children are, on average, 1,400 a year better off, while those in the poorest fifth are, on average, 3,200 per year better off.
	The 2005 budget improved this situation still further by announcing a commitment to increase the child element of child tax credit at least in line with average earnings up to and including 200708. It is currently worth up to 1,690 a year per child, benefiting 7 million children in 3.6 million families.

SCOTLAND

Renewable Energy

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the promotion of renewable energy in Scotland.

Alistair Darling: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend on a wide range of energy matters.

Pathways to Work

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effects of the Pathways to Work pilot scheme in Scotland.

David Cairns: My right hon. Friend has not yet had the pleasure of meeting the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to discuss the Pathways to Work pilots in Scotland. I am sure they will meet in the future to discuss this and a range of other issues.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans the Government have for reducing the burden of central Government regulation on Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises.

David Cairns: This Government are undertaking the most radical and serious systemic reform of Britain's regulatory system in recent history. This will deliver genuine reductions in the regulatory burden upon all businesses, including SMEs, without compromising necessary regulatory outcomes.

Terrorism

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary about the implementation of the Terrorism Bill in Scotland.

Alistair Darling: I am in regular contact with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on a number of matters, including ensuring that Scotland's interests are fully covered by terrorism legislation and policies.

Fisheries

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the impact of climate change on cod migration; and what action the Government are planning to take.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Bradshaw) on 12 September 2005, Official Report, columns 23082309W, to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond).

Employment Statistics

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had on ensuring full employment in all parts of Scotland by 2010.

David Cairns: The Government's objective is to increase employment opportunity for all. The UK labour market is performing well, both by international standards and on a historical comparison, with high levels of employment and low levels of unemployment. In addition, the Scottish labour market has hit new record levels, with employment at its highest since quarterly records began. We will continue to work in partnership with the Scottish Executive to deliver prosperity for all the people of Scotland.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Salaries

Michael Penning: To ask the Leader of the House if he will list the 10 highest-paid employees in his Office; what the (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses is of each; and whether the individual concerned is (i) a civil servant and (ii) a contractor in each case.

Geoff Hoon: The highest paid employee in the Office of the Leader of the House is the Principal Private Secretary, who is a member of the Senior Civil Service. Details of his salary band are available in the Privy Council Office, Resource Accounts 200304, HC109Q, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
	The office employs an additional 13 members of staff, all of whom are civil servants. Details of their salary are not released, as to provide this information for such a small number of staff (all of whom are below the Senior Civil Service grade) would be unfair on the grounds of their entitlement to privacy.

Departmental Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff in his Office were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff in each year since 1997.

Geoff Hoon: Prior to 2001 separate records were not kept for the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons. The figures were disaggregated from the rest of the Privy Council Office, which provides administrative support to my office, only from 2001. The information available is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Civil servants Contractors Other staff 
		
		
			 2001 19 0 0 
			 2002 19.5 0 0 
			 2003 16.5 0 0 
			 2004 16 0 0 
			 2005 14 0 0

Statutory Instruments

Nigel Evans: To ask the Leader of the House if he will list statutory instruments made, laid before Parliament, and which came into force during the most recent summer recess.

Nigel Griffiths: A total of 201 statutory instruments (excluding draft instruments) and six Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland were laid in the House of Commons in the period 22 July to 7 October. These are listed in the Votes and Proceedings of the House for 10 October. Of these 123 statutory instruments and five statutory rules came into force before 10 October.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Postal Voting

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many applications to pilot all-postal vote elections her Department has received since the Representation of the People Act 2000 came into force.

Harriet Harman: The Government have received 93 applications to run all-postal pilots since the Representation of the People came into force. Eight were received in 2000, 20 in 2002, 43 in 2003, 12 in 2004 and two in 2005.

Electoral Registers

Neil Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she plans to take to reduce the time taken to produce a copy of the marked register for those 2005 general election candidates who require one.

Harriet Harman: The provision of copies of the marked electoral registers for the 2005 General Election is in fact the responsibility of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. Pickfords Records Management store these documents on the Clerk of the Crown's behalf. There were problems with the service in the first three months immediately following the 5 May Election. In this period, we received the same number or requests as we received for the whole of the year following the 2001 General Election.
	This was due to the unforeseen volume of requests, which far exceeded the number of requests following the previous General Election. However, I have been assured that these problems have now been resolved.

Asylum Seekers

Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what funding her Department provided to Citizens Advice Bureaux for advice to asylum seekers in 200405; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of such provision in Oxfordshire.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) provided a total of just under 27 million to CAB's nationally in all categories in 200405. It is not possible to separate what part of this sum was spent specifically on asylum advice.
	The LSC is satisfied overall that there is adequate provision of specialist asylum advice in Oxfordshire.

National Census and Registration Day

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress she has made in considering the proposal for an annual national census and registration day.

Harriet Harman: We are determined to increase electoral registration levels, particularly among young people and those who rent. We want to focus on one particular day as a way of concentrating resources and raising public awareness and we are looking at this.

Armed Forces Personnel (Voting)

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to facilitate voting by armed forces personnel.

Harriet Harman: We have been working closely with the Ministry of Defence and the Electoral Commission to ensure that Service personnel are aware of their voting rights and the procedures for registering to vote. We are currently considering whether further legislation will be beneficial.

Judicial Appointments

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on qualifications for judicial appointments.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made on the 13 July by my right hon. and Noble Friend the Lord Chancellor on increasing diversity in the judiciary. Among the measures announced were that the Government would legislate when parliamentary time permitted, to change the current statutory requirements.

State Funding (Conservative Party)

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much state funding has been paid to the Conservative party in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer) earlier.

Legal Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent representations she has received on the proposed levels of legal aid; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: My right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor and I have received letters from individual members of the Bar expressing concerns about the October changes that we had to implement to some fee rates in criminal cases in order to tackle the serious overspend of 130 million that has been forecast to the legal aid budget. Prior to the changes my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor received representations from professional bodies and met with representatives of the Bar.

Legal Aid

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on the administration of justice of the recent industrial action by barristers over legal aid levels; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: We said we would maintain the justice system regardless of any action barristers might take. We have done that. Action was limited and was (managed locally by the courts, Legal Service Commission and Crown Prosecution Service using a range of effective contingency plans.

Legal Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the change in the rates paid for criminal legal aid has been over the last 10 years.

Bridget Prentice: There are different rates prescribed for the many separate schemes across a variety of services provided within the Criminal Defence Service (CDS). The changes to the prescribed basic legal aid rates for work in the criminal courts are set in the following table.
	
		
			  Defence legal aid ratesChanges to the prescribed rates: Magistrates court proceedings, Crown court and Court of Appeal (Criminal) Proceedings 
		
		
			 1995 Solicitors' rates and counsels' Crown court standard fee rates increased by 2 per cent. 
			 1996 Solicitors' rates and junior barristers' rates increased by 1.5 per cent. 
			 1997 Nil uprating. 
			 1998 Nil uprating. 
			 1999 Nil uprating. 
			 2000 Nil uprating. 
			 2001 Magistrates courtGeneral Criminal Contract launched with an overall effect of an overall increase of 7.25 per cent., though the increase in rates varied between classes of work. 
			  Criminal higher courtsRemuneration changes in October with the introduction of a common graduated fee scheme by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Crown Prosecution Service for advocates in all trials lasting up to 25 days in the Crown court. The effect of those changes was to raise total remuneration for 1 to 10 day cases by about 3.2 million and to leave the level of remuneration for 11 to 25 day cases broadly the same. These changes also included changes in the graduated fee scheme to allow for some payment for conferences and the attendance fee for plea and directions hearings was increased from 75 to 100. 
			 2002 Contract mileage rate under the General Criminal Contract increased to 45p. 
			  Nil remuneration uprating. 
			 2003 Nil uprating. 
			 2004 Februarytelephone fixed fee implemented for police station advice and assistance. 30.25 national / 31.45 London. 
			  OctoberDuty Solicitor. Serious offences rate introduced for police station advice and attendance at 80 per unsocial hour and 60 per hour at other times. Overall impact to introduce 3 million new money. 
			  Criminal courtsRemuneration changes in August to the Very High Cost Criminal Case contract rates and Criminal Graduated Fee schemes. The effects of the changes were: to reduce bureaucracy for the Bar by taking some 50 per cent. of VHCC cases into an extended graduated fee scheme, which now covers cases up to 40 days; raising the graduated fee rates for 11 to 25 day cases to the level which was expected in 2001 when the scheme was introduced and carrying those rates through to the 40 day extension; all Category 4 VHCC cases will be paid at the same rates as Category 3 VHCC cases; substantially increasing refreshers so that the same rate is now paid for Category 2 and 3 cases as for Category 1; moving terrorism cases into Category 1; moving under five-year advocate call rates to over five-year call rates. This settlement was a package to the Bar worth approximately 17 million. 11 million came from changes to the VHCCC scheme, and a further 6 million from the changes made to the 11 to 25 day graduated fee scheme where we made good the unintended shortfall that had occurred since the scheme was extended to 25 days on October 2001. 
			 2005 OctoberCuts in rates paid in some graduated fee and Very High Cost Criminal Case contracts (to both advocate's and litigator's rates). Extension of the existing graduated fee scheme for cracks and guilty pleas. Estimated savings in RAB terms from these additional measures, excluding Cracks and Guilties, are 5.1 million and 20.8 million for 200506, 200607 respectively. The extension of the Cracks and Guilties schemes is anticipated to increase savings by an estimated total of 20 million over 200506 and 200607.

Legal Aid

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if she will make a statement on the development of a standard form of legal aid applications as set out in Commission Decision 2005j630jEC, OJL225 of 31 August; what assessment his Department has made of the costs of implementing the scheme; and what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the scheme on the quantity of litigation.

Bridget Prentice: The Government warmly welcomes the introduction of the European Union's cross-border legal aid directive, which the Government enacted in November 2004.
	The Legal Services Commission has received only one application for legal aid here in the United Kingdom and has transmitted 22 applications to other member states. The Government therefore expect the additional legal aid costs to be minimal. The Government do not hold the information requested in relation to both the costs of implementation and the impact of the scheme on the quantity of litigation.

Voter Registration

David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy on individual voter registration.

Harriet Harman: The Electoral Administration Bill, currently before Parliament, includes provision for the collection of personal identifiers such as individual signatures and dates of birth at the point at which a person registers to vote.
	In order that the effect of this policy may be tested prior to full implementation, the Bill provides for personal identifiers to be first piloted at a local level, with the results to be evaluated by the Electoral Commission.

Election Campaigns

Celia Barlow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to limit the money that can be spent in election campaigns.

Harriet Harman: There are no current plans to further limit the money that can be spent in election campaigns, over and above the limits that already exist both for candidates and parties. I understand that the Electoral Commission will be publishing its report into the spending at this year's general election in the spring of 2005. They also propose to undertake a review of expenditure limits beginning in mid-2006. I look forward to reading both reports.

Commercial Court

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to modernise the Commercial Court

Bridget Prentice: My Department is working with Her Majesty's Courts Service to finalise investment plans which will set out what new court building projects and major refurbishments will be taken forward. The improvement of the accommodation for the Commercial Court features in these plans and has been identified as a priority project within the HMCS Estate strategy.
	A business case is being developed. This will include consideration of business justification, costs and funding. Accordingly, the business case will consider a number of options and solutions as to how and where improved facilities can be provided for this court.
	Following consultation with the judiciary and users of the Commercial Court, we are also seeking to develop a new IT system for the Commercial Court which is designed to meet the particular needs of the court.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Computer Facilities

Hywel Williams: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will arrange a Welsh language spell-checker to be installed on computers on the parliamentary network.

Nick Harvey: Existing software licences provide spell-checkers for a number of languages, including Welsh. A non-English spell-checker can therefore be installed on a specified personal computer on the basis of a request from an hon. Member to the Parliamentary Communications Directorate (PCD).

Contract Cleaners

David Taylor: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what progress has been made in improving pay and conditions for the contract cleaners on the parliamentary estate.

Nick Harvey: Over recent months officials have worked hard to find ways of saving money within the contract. I understand that, as a result, in mid-August, MITIE were able to offer an increase in basic hourly rates to 6.00: and that dialogue between the company and the union on this offer continues. New changing accommodation and a limited rest facility have been made available.

Recycling

Philip Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the latest estimate is of the proportion of waste from Members' offices on the parliamentary estate which is recycled; and what steps are planned to increase this proportion.

Nick Harvey: Currently 35.7 per cent. of parliamentary waste is recycled. It is not possible to provide a separate figure for Members' offices. The new Waste Management policy to be adopted shortly sets out a target for increasing recycling by 5 per cent. per annum until 75 per cent. is reached.

College Green Ticket Office

Philip Hammond: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the seasonal ticket office located on College Green is due to be removed.

Nick Harvey: The ticket office was removed last week.

PRIME MINISTER

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will press President Hu Jintao to meet the Dalai Lama to discuss the Tibet conflict;
	(2)  what his assessment is of progress in the dialogue between the representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Hoon) to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) at Prime Minister's Questions on 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 300.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the situation in Tibet.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ian Pearson) to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 11 November 2005, Official Report, columns 86364W.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met non-governmental organisations working on human rights in (a) China and (b) Tibet.

Tony Blair: I have not had any recent meetings with these organisations. However, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have regular meetings with non-governmental organisations working on human rights in China and Tibet.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to give a joint press conference with China's President Hu Jintao when he pays a state visit to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the morning press briefing given by my official spokesman on 9 November 2005, a copy of which is available on the Number 10 website.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions were held on Tibet prior to the agreement of the recent joint EU-China statement.

Tony Blair: I encouraged further meetings between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama's representatives during my visit to China in September, at the end of which the joint EUChina Statement was signed.

Prisons

James Clappison: To ask the Prime Minister how many prisons he has visited since 1 May 1997.

Tony Blair: I visited Pentonville prison in February 2001, and have undertaken a number of other visits relating to the criminal justice system since 1997.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Bilateral Trade

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what bilateral trade agreements are in force with developing countries.

Ian Pearson: The following bilateral trade agreements between the European Union and developing countries are currently in force:
	
		
			 Country  
		
		
			 Algeria Cooperation Agreement 
			 Egypt Association Agreement 
			 Jordan Association Agreement 
			 Lebanon Interim Agreement 
			 Morocco Association Agreement 
			 Syria Co-operation Agreement 
			 Tunisia Association Agreement 
			 Chile Association Agreement 
			 Mexico Free Trade Area 
			 South Africa Trade, Development and Co- operation Agreement 
			 African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACPs) Partnership Agreement (Cotonou Agreement) 
			 Certain Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) Association Agreement

Bilateral Trade

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of bilateral trade agreements with developing countries on their (a) local trade, (b) development and (c) economic growth; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on these matters.

Ian Pearson: Bilateral trade agreements have the potential to promote trade, growth and prosperity in developing countries. But to do this, they must be carefully designed and any trade reform in developing countries must be sequenced as part of a wider strategy for development and poverty reduction.
	The Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for International Development work closely at all levels on this and other trade policy issues relating to developing countries.

Biofuels

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to provide funding to encourage Shropshire farmers to grow biofuels.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	Funding is available to support the growing of energy crops for use in the generation of biomass heat and electricity and transport biofuels. 29 million was made available to farmers throughout England under the Energy Crops Scheme to support the planting of short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus, and the setting up of producer groups to supply SRC to biomass heat and electricity end-users. The 3.5 million UK-wide Bio-energy Infrastructure Scheme, which is now closed for applications, provides grants to develop the supply chain for energy crops, straw and woodfuel from harvest through to delivery to biomass energy end-users. Several of the successful applications are based in the West Midlands area. Farmers who grow crops for biomass heat and electricity and transport biofuels can receive the single payment for certain crops grown on set-aside or where the 45/ha Energy Aid payment is claimed for crops on non set-aside land.
	Funding is also available to develop markets for energy crops in the generation of heat, combined heat and power, electricity and transport biofuels. It was announced on 10 November that the Government will introduce a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation which will require 5 per cent. of fuel sold in the UK to come from a renewable source by 2010. The Government are also considering further initiatives to support investment in biofuel processing plants. These measures may open up opportunities for farmers to supply crops to be used to produce biofuels. A number of biomass and biofuel projects are being established in the West Midlands area. Marches Energy Agency, the Community Renewables Initiative's local support team for Shropshire and Herefordshire is working to develop further projects in the area.

Cold-calling Scams

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance his Department issues to start-up small businesses to safeguard them against cold-calling scams; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The Business Link website-www.businesslink.gov.uk-contains detailed advice on how businesses can avoid scams, including cold-calling.

Debt Collection Agencies

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what circumstances debt collection agencies are entitled to inform debtors that their credit rating may be altered.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	A person's credit reference file will automatically indicate when an account is in default. Communications between a debt collection agency and a debtor will depend on the circumstances concerned but the Office of Fair Trading, which is responsible for the licensing of debt collection agencies, has issued guidance that the debt collection sector must follow. The guidance sets out the types of behaviour that the Office of Fair Trading considers to be unfair and which could call into question a company's fitness to hold a licence. For example, the guidance makes clear that it is unfair for a debt collection agency to communicate with consumers in an unclear, inaccurate or misleading manner.

Employment Status Review

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the conclusions of the Employment Act 1999 Section 23 Consultations (Employment Status Review) are to be made public.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government intend to publish a response to the Employment Status Review around the turn of the year.

Fireworks

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the quantity of fireworks used in October and November (a) by private individuals and (b) in public displays in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	None. The Department does not collect or hold this information.

Fireworks

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of firework-related injuries in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) age of victim and (b) type of injury.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	The Department publishes firework injury statistics every year. These are collected from every hospital Accident and Emergency Department in Great Britain for a period of approximately four weeks around November 5. Information of the type you request is available on the DTI website for the years 19972004. The web address is:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topicsl/pdfl/fireworkinjuries2004ss.pdf

Fireworks

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the safety levels of bonfire night activities in 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	Legislation and guidelines are in place covering the importation, supply, use (including anti-social use) and the firing of displays. All of this legislation is kept under review, either by DTI or the Health and Safety Executive. Enforcement bodies will report on enforcement activities in due course.

Fireworks

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of public firework displays held in England in October and November in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	None. Professionally fired displays are governed by legislation covering health and safety at work, which is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive.

Fireworks

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of fireworks regulations in relation to bonfire night activities in 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	None. However, an assessment of enforcement activities under the relevant fireworks legislation will be undertaken in due course.

Fireworks

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were injured by fireworks in West Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The fireworks injury statistics collected on behalf of the DTI are broken down by country i.e. England, Scotland and Wales, by super region and by health trust. Statistics for West Lancashire are therefore not available.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sofas were seized by consumer protection staff because of the presence of combustible foam in 200405, broken down by region.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 set levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture manufactured in or imported into the UK. These regulations are enforced by Trading Standards, who have powers to suspend the supply of products which do not meet the requirements of the regulations, to seize such products and to prosecute suppliers. This Department collates statistics on prosecutions under the regulations every five years and publishes them in a statutory report on consumer safety. The most recent report, published in 2003, records that 101 prosecutions were brought under the regulations between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 2003, of which 98 resulted in conviction. The Department does not collect statistics in relation to the presence of combustible foam in upholstered furniture.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many furniture manufacturers have ceased to trade over the last five years, broken down by region.

Alun Michael: Information on how many furniture manufacturers have de-registered for VAT in the last five years can be provided on a national basis but figures for each region could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	DTI figures for the whole of the UK, based solely on VAT de-registrations for furniture manufacturers 1 , are shown below for 2000 to 2004. Data on the number of registered furniture manufacturers and the rate of de-registration are also shown. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006.
	1 Standard Industrial Classification 361.
	
		Furniture manufacturing 200004
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 VAT de-registrations 585 585 610 610 610 
			 VAT registered stock at start of year 7,715 7,745 7,700 7,560 7,515 
			 De-registrations per 100 registered stock 7.6 7.6 7.9 8.1 8.1 
		
	
	Source:
	Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 19942004, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the levels of sofa imports with combustible foam content labelled as non-combustible foam.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 set levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture manufactured in or imported into the UK. These regulations are enforced by Trading Standards, who have powers to suspend the supply of products which do not meet the requirements of the regulations, to seize such products and to prosecute suppliers. The Department does not collect statistics in relation to the presence of combustible foam in upholstered furniture.

Post Offices

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) sub-post and (b) post offices there were in north-east Milton Keynes in each year since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked the chief executive of POL to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Post Offices

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) sub-post and (b) post offices there were in Kettering constituency in each year since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL) and the chief executive has been asked to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Offices

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the removal of the duty for Post Office Ltd. to prevent avoidable rural post office closures in April 2006.

Barry Gardiner: The then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's statement of 16 September 2004 to the House advised that Post Office Ltd. had been directed to provide a report to Government of the findings of pilot activity into new, innovative and cost-effective means of delivering postal services at the end of 2005. It further stated that an assessment of the policy of preventing avoidable closures of rural post offices would be conducted in light of the findings of the pilot report. This will be considered alongside analysis of the network currently being conducted.

Post Offices

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will hold a public consultation on the future of the rural post office network.

Barry Gardiner: The Government are in the process of reviewing the future of the social network of post offices in rural and deprived urban areas and is fully committed to undertaking a public consultation at the appropriate time.

Postcomm

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications were received for the post of Chair of Postcomm; whether the job is full-time; and what the annual salary of the Chair of Postcomm is.

Barry Gardiner: 56 applications were received in June 2003 for the post of Chair of Postcomm. It is a part-time position, based on a three-day week, attracting an annual salary of 76,500 (pay award pending).

Radioactive Waste Management

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has received from the European Commission in respect of proposals for a joint undertaking to organise research on radioactive waste management.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are aware that the European Commission is developing a proposal for a joint undertaking to organise research on radioactive waste management. The Commission believes that such a project would be of common European interest and would allow the pooling of private, national and Community resources to achieve specific long-term research objectives. The proposal has not yet been submitted to the Council of Ministers.

Retirement Age

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with local authorities about the retirement age for public sector workers; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: I have had no discussions with local authorities about the retirement age for public sector workers.

Tax Forms

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what average number of tax forms businesses were requested to (a) fill in and (b) reply to in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of tax forms a business will respond to will depend upon a number of factors including its size, the nature of its business activities and how it chooses to provide information eg in writing, on-line or through agents. The wide range and diversity of these factors means any exercise to calculate averages has limited value and would necessitate a great deal of research at disproportionate cost.

Travel Insurance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with insurance industry representatives on travel insurance which excludes cover for tour company insolvency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: None. The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (SI 1992/3288) require that all businesses organising package tours must at all times be able to provide sufficient evidence of security for the refund of money paid over by consumers and for the repatriation of consumers in the event of insolvency.

Veterinary Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for access to veterinary services of the loss to vets of prescription-related income.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 11 November 2005
	The regulatory impact assessment accompanying the Supply of Relevant Veterinary Medicinal Products Order 2005 fully sets out the implications. It is for individual veterinary surgeons to choose their pricing structure should they wish to recoup this income, as long as they do it in a way that does not discriminate between those customers who take a prescription and those who do not.

Veterinary Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason vets will be prevented from charging for prescribing; and whether he plans to apply the same principles to other professional groups.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The Competition Commission found in their report in April 2003 that the market in prescription-only veterinary medicines was not working well for animal owners. They recommended a package of measures aimed at opening up the market to competition.
	A key element of the package of measures is to enable customers to take up prescriptions, so they can shop around for medicines rather than be forced to pay the prices charged by the veterinary surgeon treating their animal. The three-year moratorium on prescription charges is seen by both the Competition Commission and Government as essential to encouraging take-up and opening the market.
	This is not currently applied to other professional groups as it follows a detailed analysis by the Competition Commission in response to complaints specific to the market for veterinary medicines.

Water Privatisation

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to ensure that the consequences of privatisation of water in developing countries is discussed at the World Trade Organisation talks in December.

Ian Pearson: There is nothing in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) which requires WTO members to privatise water utilities. The GATS provides a framework within which WTO members can negotiate the liberalisation of trade in services. It is up to WTO members to decide in which sectors to make commitments.
	We have therefore made no such representations.

World Trade Organisation

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the EU's negotiating position at the World Trade Organisation.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 7 November 2005
	Under the Common Commercial Policy, the European Commission negotiates in the World Trade Organisation on behalf of the European Union's 25 member states. The European Commission is bound by a negotiating mandate granted and updated by the Council of Ministers but has the freedom to determine strategy and tactics within the parameters of that mandate. The assessment of Her Majesty's Government is that the offers tabled by the European Commission on 10 and 28 October are within the remit of the negotiating mandate. Her Majesty's Government continues to give its full backing to the Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, in his conduct of the negotiations and is committed to achieving an ambitious, pro-development conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda by the end of 2006.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Priorities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his Department's priorities for 200607.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The aim of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, (ODPM) is to help create sustainable communities, working with other Government Departments, local councils, businesses, the voluntary sector, and communities themselves.
	We have five year plans, a challenging set of public service agreement targets and strategic priorities which set the overall framework, as set out in our Annual Report for 200405 (Cm 6526). They are published in the ODPM Business Plan for 200506 which can be found on the ODPM website.
	We have recently completed a stock take of our policies and programmes to ensure that we have full alignment across these programmes, to maximise our impact in delivery, and to sharpen our focus in advance of the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2007. The conclusions are set out in the core narrative on the ODPM website.

English Partnerships

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when English Partnerships' future national programme for the years 200506 to 200809 is expected to be announced.

Yvette Cooper: Discussions are currently under way with English Partnerships on their future national programme and priorities for the years 200506 to 200809. Once these planning round discussions have been finalised, which is likely to be in the next two months, English Partnerships corporate priorities will be published.
	Funding for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister programmes, including English Partnerships, for 200809 to 201011 will be dependent on the results of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.

Free Bus Passes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to answer the letter from the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 21 September regarding payments to Adur council for extension of free bus travel for pensioners.

Phil Woolas: I replied to the hon. Member on 10 November.

Housing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the percentage change has been in average weekly rent in constant prices in (a) the local authority and (b) the registered social landlord sector in each (i) London borough and (ii) English region since 2001.

Yvette Cooper: Average weekly rent by local authority district and region are published for the local authority sector and the registered social landlord sector on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website in Tables 702 and Tables 704 respectively. The links for these tables are given as follows:
	Table 702: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=1156266
	Table 704: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id:=1156268
	These tables will be updated with information for 2005 late this month. The percentage changes from March 2001 to March 2004 are given in the Tables:
	(i) London boroughs
	
		Table 1: Percentage change in average weekly rent at constant prices 2001 to 2004 for London boroughs
		
			  Registered Social Landlord (RSL) % increase Local Authority Landlord % increase 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 2.2 3.8 
			 Barnet 2.7 5.0 
			 Bexley -2.2 LSVT 
			 Brent 7.3 -3.4 
			 Bromley 0.1 LSVT 
			 Camden 4.9 -2.6 
			 City of London 7.7 5.5 
			 Croydon 1.2 -3.6 
			 Ealing 6.2 -5.7 
			 Enfield 6.9 -0.5 
			 Greenwich 6.2 2.7 
			 Hackney 5.3 -7.3 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6.3 3.4 
			 Haringey 3.3 -1.8 
			 Harrow 1.1 2.2 
			 Havering 3.2 5.1 
			 Hillingdon 4.2 0.4 
			 Hounslow 3.0 4.4 
			 Islington 6.9 -2.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 8.1 5.6 
			 Kingston upon Thames 6.2 0.4 
			 Lambeth 5.1 3.2 
			 Lewisham 6.2 0.7 
			 Merton 1.9 0.2 
			 Newham 3.5 3.4 
			 Redbridge 3.6 -6.3 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0.9 LSVT 
			 Southwark 5.9 -1.0 
			 Sutton 3.8 5.3 
			 Tower Hamlets 7.9 -8.0 
			 Wandsworth 5.0 9.8 
			 Waltham Forest -1.0 1.4 
			 Westminster 6.3 1.2 
			 London 4.1 0.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. RSL data based on data collected by the Housing Corporation via the annual Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) LA data based on unaudited returns from the Second Subsidy Claim form and are provisional for 2004.
	2. Constant prices based on the Retail Price Index.
	3. Average Weekly Rents in Both Sectors are affected by Large Scale Voluntary Transfers (LSVT).
	4. LSVT: all or most of the local authority stock has been transferred to the RSL sector, so an average rent is no longer appropriate.
	(ii) English Regions
	
		Table 2: Percentage change in average weekly rent at constant prices 2001 to 2004 for English regions
		
			  Registered Social Landlord % increase Local Authority Landlord % increase 
		
		
			 North East 0.0 1.6 
			 North West 4.0 1.0 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4.8 -1.0 
			 East Midlands -0.7 3.5 
			 West Midlands 2.6 2.8 
			 East 1.3 1.8 
			 London 4.1 0.1 
			 South East 1.6 3.0 
			 South West 2.1 0.3 
			 England 0.8 2.9 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. RSL data based on data collected by the Housing Corporation via the annual Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) LA data based on un-audited returns from the Second Subsidy Claim form and are provisional for 2004.
	2. Constant prices based on the Retail Price Index.
	3. Average Weekly Rents in Both Sectors are affected by Large Scale Voluntary Transfers (LSVT). If Large Scale Voluntary Transfers have taken place the average weekly rents may be affected by the change in the mix of the stock.

Housing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many households were on the housing register of each local housing authority in the north-east in each year from 2000 to 2005; and what that number of households was as a percentage of all households.

Yvette Cooper: The available information is in a table and has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Local authorities sometimes maintain a common waiting list with the housing association/s in their district. However, information is not held centrally where a housing association maintains a separate waiting list to the local authority.
	
		Number of households on local authorities' housing waiting lists, and as a percentage of total households in the area, by each local authority in the north-east region, 200005
		
			  Total households on the housing waiting list 
			 Local authority 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Alnwick 773 568 802 961 1,155 1,192 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 523 566 455 492 455 756 
			 Blyth Valley 2,110 1,878 1,966 2,223 2,753 3,637 
			 Castle Morpeth 1,083 1,424 719 2,048 1,426 1,419 
			 Chester-le-Street 1,314 1,698 1,827 2,028 2,366 2,464 
			 Darlington 2,087 2,127 1,886 2,666 2,601 2,853 
			 Derwentside 2,249 2,227 2,269 2,652 2,920 2,965 
			 Durham 1,028 1,126 1,091 1,413 2,110 2,618 
			 Easington 3,094 2,546 3,205 2,842 3,622 2,015 
			 Gateshead 4,665 4,841 5,394 6,015 9,894 4,174 
			 Hartlepool 2,374 2,026 2,998 3,033 7,310 3,222 
			 Middlesbrough 3,312 2,912 2,921 3,331 4,324 5,217 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,361 5,353 6,289 6,625 10,230 13,099 
			 North Tyneside 3,274 2,477 2,860 3,350 4,028 4,325 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,777 2,639 2,645 2,939 2,424 3,250 
			 Sedgefield 620 776 690 841 1,819 2,364 
			 South Tyneside 12,245 8,681 10,203 10,798 12,325 8,649 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 5,312 4,395 3,962 3,892 3,736 3,485 
			 Sunderland 4,476 5,156 5,764 22,323 25,827 16,222 
			 Teesdale 350 343 367 377 387 298 
			 Tynedale 820 1,251 1,011 1,104 1,338 1,576 
			 Wansbeck 1,021 736 700 986 1,428 1,244 
			 Wear Valley 2,248 1,270 2,237 2,482 1,475 2,703 
			 Total north-east region 62,116 57,016 62,261 85,421 105,953 89,747 
		
	
	
		
			  As a percentage of total households in area 
			 Local authority 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Alnwick 6 4 6 7 8 9 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 4 5 4 4 4 6 
			 Blyth Valley 6 5 6 6 8 10 
			 Castle Morpeth 5 7 4 10 7 7 
			 Chester-le-Street 6 7 8 9 10 11 
			 Darlington 5 5 4 6 6 7 
			 Derwentside 6 6 6 7 8 8 
			 Durham 3 3 3 4 6 7 
			 Easington 8 6 8 7 9 5 
			 Gateshead 6 6 6 7 12 5 
			 Hartlepool 6 5 8 8 20 9 
			 Middlesbrough 6 5 5 6 7 9 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4 5 5 6 9 11 
			 North Tyneside 4 3 3 4 5 5 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 5 4 4 5 4 6 
			 Sedgefield 2 2 2 2 5 6 
			 South Tyneside 18 13 15 16 18 13 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 7 6 5 5 5 5 
			 Sunderland 4 4 5 19 22 14 
			 Teesdale 4 3 4 4 4 3 
			 Tynedale 3 5 4 4 5 6 
			 Wansbeck 4 3 3 4 5 5 
			 Wear Valley 9 5 9 10 6 10 
			 Percentage north-east region 6 5 6 8 10 8 
		
	
	Source:
	The number of households on the waiting lists from ODPM's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return. Figures are as at 1 April.
	Total household figures from ODPM's 2003 mid-year household estimates.

Housing

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will commission research to update the affordability index used to determine the areas included within the scope of the Housing (Right-to-Buy) (Limits on Discounts) (Amendments) Order 2003.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing (Right-to-Buy) (Limits on Discount) (Amendment) Order 2003 came into force on 27 March 2003. It reduced to 16,000 the maximum right-to-buy discount available to tenants in 41 areas in London and the South of England that appeared to be under the greatest housing market pressure in terms of high levels of homelessness and high property prices. The Government is keeping the position on maximum right-to-buy discounts generally under review.

Housing

Michael Penning: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost of additional public services which will be required by people living in the proposed new housing in Hertfordshire.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's approach is to ensure that infrastructure, including public services, is provided in step with growth, as plans for individual growth locations are developed. There are three elements to this: first, to ensure that main public expenditure programmes, such as health and education, are sufficiently flexible and responsive to the needs of growing communities; second, to secure an appropriate contribution from developers and private investors; and third, to provide additional support through growth areas funds, including the Community Infrastructure Fund.
	Hertfordshire and the rest of the East of England have already benefited from a significant increase in identifiable public expenditure, receiving 28.1 billion in 200304a 26 per cent. real terms increase on 19992000. In particular between 19992000 and 200304:
	Transport spending in the region rose from 717 million to 1,038 million
	Health spending in the region rose from 4,011 million to 6,001 million
	Education and training spending in the region rose from 3,327 million to 4,889 million
	Public order and safety spending in the region rose from 896 million to 1,413 million
	The East of England Regional Assembly has submitted its draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England to Government. Following extensive public consultation, that draft strategy is now subject to an independent Examination in Public, which began on 1 November and runs to early March 2006.
	It is for the Examination in Public, after considering all the evidence and representations before it, to make recommendations to Government on the appropriate long-term strategy for the scale and location of development in the East of England.
	Once Government have received the recommendations of the Examination in Public, and consulted on any changes it proposes, the final strategy will be issued. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is already engaged in discussions with partners on infrastructure and growth issues in the East of England and we will develop plans further in the light of the final strategy. Public service providers will then have the long-term certainty they need in which to plan future levels of service provision. Detailed development decisions need to be made at the local level as part of the preparation of local development documents.

Housing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) demolitions and (b) empty properties (i) across all sectors and (ii) in council housing there were in each local housing authority in the North East in each year from 2000 to 2005.

Yvette Cooper: The available information is in a table and has been placed in the Library of the House.
	
		Table for PQ 2024number of all tenure and council demolished and empty dwellings by each local authority in the north east region 2000 to 2005.
		
			 Part Anumber of demolished dwellings in the financial year 
			  Total dwellings demolished 
			 Local authority name 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Alnwick 0 2 0 0 n/a 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed (1) (1) (1) (1) n/a 
			 Blyth Valley 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Castle Morpeth (1) 0 1 0 n/a 
			 Chester-le-Street 0 0 24 38 n/a 
			 Darlington 174 12 41 56 n/a 
			 Derwentside 106 20 43 152 n/a 
			 Durham 17 2 0 0 n/a 
			 Easington (1) 177 99 63 n/a 
			 Gateshead 91 310 155 224 n/a 
			 Hartlepool 15 58 20 7 n/a 
			 Middlesbrough 61 78 343 161 n/a 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 383 612 531 485 n/a 
			 North Tyneside 238 499 149 14 n/a 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 54 285 169 87 n/a 
			 Sedgefield (1) 54 30 28 n/a 
			 South Tyneside 52 130 229 37 n/a 
			 Stockton-on-Tees (1) 74 149 154 n/a 
			 Sunderland 471 165 203 280 n/a 
			 Teesdale (1) 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Tynedale 0 0 1 1 n/a 
			 Wansbeck 276 471 13 19 n/a 
			 Wear Valley 45 207 162 144 n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Council dwellings demolished 
			 Local authority name 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Alnwick 0 (1) 0 0 n/a 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed (1) (1) (1) (1) n/a 
			 Blyth Valley 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Castle Morpeth (1) 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Chester-le-Street 0 0 24 32 n/a 
			 Darlington 169 9 36 0 n/a 
			 Derwentside 106 20 3 124 n/a 
			 Durham 17 2 0 0 n/a 
			 Easington 131 0 99 14 n/a 
			 Gateshead 88 242 20 68 n/a 
			 Hartlepool 0 34 19 5 n/a 
			 Middlesbrough 19 76 335 132- n/a 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 383 462 493 437 n/a 
			 North Tyneside 229 476 104 12 n/a 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 53 283 169 69 n/a 
			 Sedgefield (1) 0 30 0 n/a 
			 South Tyneside 47 126 226 22 n/a 
			 Stockton-on-Tees (1) 74 138 154 n/a 
			 Sunderland 455 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Teesdale (1) 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Tynedale 0 0 0 0 n/a 
			 Wansbeck 276 467 12 19 n/a 
			 Wear Valley 36 0 159 134 n/a 
		
	
	(1) Indicates that no data was submitted.
	Note:
	n/a means data not yet ready to publish.
	Source:
	Housing Flows Reconciliation return
	
		Part Bnumber of empty dwellings (All figures to be treated as for 1 April)
		
			  All dwellings 
			  HSSA+RSR returns data CTB1 return data 
			 Local authority name 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Alnwick 438 441 453 580 726 571 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 331 (2) 608 655 544 614 
			 Blyth Valley 988 798 634 844 940 789 
			 Castle Morpeth 579 790 806 805 658 774 
			 Chester-le-Street 685 741 877 643 726 582 
			 Darlington 2,186 2,095 1,903 1,591 1,823 1,660 
			 Derwentside 1,756 1,824 1,772 1,672 1,707 1,669 
			 Durham 2,530 1,522 (2) 1,238 673 1,282 
			 Easington 3,022 2,878 2,046 1,894 1,860 1,880 
			 Gateshead 3,387 3,213 3,491 6,205 5,519 5,488 
			 Hartlepool 1,752 1,708 1,911 1,903 1,701 1,925 
			 Middlesbrough 4,412 1,977 2,741 3,151 3,191 2,833 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 8,045 3,583 7,352 7,555 7,275 6,141 
			 North Tyneside 4,024 3,814 2,912 2,820 2,784 2,877 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,828 2,822 2,706 2,626 2,550 2,225 
			 Sedgefield 799 1,362 1,524 1,550 1,358 1,965 
			 South Tyneside 1,466 2,578 3,757 1,814 1,737 1,997 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,502 3,046 3,034 2,836 2,667 2,319 
			 Sunderland 3,780 4,039 2,771 3,628 4,140 4,114 
			 Teesdale (2) 508 513 607 613 656 
			 Tynedale 1,079 583 619 834 862 782 
			 Wansbeck 979 1,505 851 1,152 1,045 1,031 
			 Wear Valley 1,963 2,504 1,736 1,586 1,511 1,558 
		
	
	
		LA dwellings only
		
			  HSSA return data 
			 Local authority name 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Alnwick 28 22 25 27 15 31 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 3 13 10 11 11 8 
			 Blyth Valley 56 53 57 63 74 54 
			 Castle Morpeth 96 137 201 160 158 165 
			 Chester-le-Street 140 199 163 181 152 61 
			 Darlington 211 150 138 180 163 136 
			 Derwentside 283 304 425 405 491 332 
			 Durham 243 239 182 137 117 137 
			 Easington 822 910 835 826 768 490 
			 Gateshead 601 463 460 471 525 472 
			 Hartlepool 187 218 180 155 0 0 
			 Middlesbrough 505 597 766 571 717 0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1,542 1,778 1,883 1,398 1,413 1,151 
			 North Tyneside 1,119 1,057 622 518 404 524 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 337 438 313 0 0 0 
			 Sedgefield 373 299 223 175 138 112 
			 South Tyneside 495 518 489 608 449 607 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 941 943 756 724 489 373 
			 Sunderland 1,102 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Teesdale 18 24 26 58 72 57 
			 Tynedale 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wansbeck 617 496 304 204 255 200 
			 Wear Valley 321 445 358 357 392 299 
		
	
	(2) Indicates that no data was submitted.
	Note:
	Zero LA figures indicates council became LSVT.
	Source:
	Council Tax Base 1 (CTB1) return for all dwellings from 2003 to 2005, all others from Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of the planned 75,000 social rented houses planned to be built by 200708 will be provided by local authorities.

Yvette Cooper: Of the estimated 75,000 social rented houses to be provided by 200708 we estimate that up to some 3,000 will be provided by local authorities.
	Since 1990 registered social landlords (RSLs) have been the main providers of additional affordable housing. They are generally able to deliver more units than local authorities for a given amount of public subsidy because of their ability to access private finance.

Local Government Finance

Margaret Moran: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) revenue and (b) capital funding his Department has allocated to Luton council in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) was established following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. The following table sets out payments made to Luton council since 200203. For earlier years, the table shows the amount paid by ODPM's predecessor Departments from programmes which are now administered by the Office.
	
		All figures ( million)
		
			 Funding (a) Revenue (b) Capital 
		
		
			 200001 136.000 5.163 
			 200102 141.859 3.013 
			 200203 148.423 3.063 
			 200304 171.619 6.323 
			 200405 179.599 7.946 
			 Total 777.500 25.508

Local Government Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the revenue support grant per head was in each local authority in (a) 1998, (b) 2001 and (c) 2004; and what the figure for the relative level of grant per head was for each authority in each year if the average level of grant per head in England in each year is represented by 100.

Phil Woolas: A table showing formula grant per head for 199899, 200102 and 200405, together with the relative level of grant per head for each authority in each of these years has been placed in the Library of the House. Formula Grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, Redistributed Business Rates and Police Grant. It is not appropriate to look at only the amount of Revenue Support Grant an authority receives since floor damping operates across formula grant.
	Please note that for every area in England there is more than one authority providing services. In order to get a true comparison for an area compared to the English average for the year it is therefore necessary to add together the authorities that cover that area, thus for the Isle of Wight it is necessary to add together the data for the Isles of Wight plus that for Hampshire police. For example, in 199899 the Isle of Wight received 592.77 per head to cover all services except police and Hampshire police received 88.08 per head to cover police services. Therefore, the figure for the Isles of Wight area to cover all services was 592.77+88.08=680.85 which compares to an England average of 653.14.

Pathfinder Renewal Projects

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 339W, on Pathfinder Renewal Projects, what information he requires from Pathfinder Renewal schemes about their expenditure, including the Capital Modernisation Fund; and what the frequency is of those financial returns.

Yvette Cooper: All nine of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders submit monthly claims for expenditure occurred in the previous month. The claims are divided in each case between capital and revenue costs and show expenditure on:
	i. Physical implementation
	ii. Non-physical implementation
	iii. Management, administration and scheme development costs.
	At six monthly intervals the pathfinders submit their core indicator returns which show progress on each of their agreed outputs.
	All Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) moneys were spent in 200203 and 200304. The information then collected was not submitted on an agreed pro-forma or broken down into any fixed categories for each pathfinder but submitted on local authority or pathfinder own forms depicting various items of expenditure relating to scheme development and capacity building.

Smithfield Market

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has made to the Corporation of London about the proposed redevelopment of the old Smithfield Market site.

Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has not made any representations to the Corporation of London.

Social Landlords

Paul Holmes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether members of boards and gateway boards of registered social landlords are legally required to act in the best interests of the organisation;
	(2)  whether councillors are prohibited by law from being members of the boards and gateway boards of registered social landlords;
	(3)  whether tenants' representatives are legally required to act in the best interests of their registered social landlord.

Yvette Cooper: All board members of registered social landlords (RSLs), including tenant board members, owe a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the organisation. This is a common law duty which imposes a general requirement on them to act in good faith and for the benefit of the RSL. This applies to all RSLs, including those established using the Community Gateway model.
	There is no prohibition on councillors being RSL board members. However, as councillors they are subject to a code of conduct which requires them to remove themselves from, or not vote at, any council meeting where they might have a prejudicial interest in the matter being discussed.

Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to extend (a) motorways and (b) A roads in Essex to take account of the Thames Gateway.

Yvette Cooper: In 2003 the Secretary of State for Transport announced a 1.6 billion investment in the widening of the M25. This programme will take in junctions 2730 in the Essex stretch of the motorway.
	The transport authorities in Essex have an opportunity to bring forward improvements to non-strategic roads through their respective local transport plans. Provisional plans are currently with the Department for Transport and are being assessed.
	Additionally, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Transport are working with the South Essex Transportation Board to identify the further transport and other infrastructure needs of the area in the context of the Thames Gateway.

Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of the Thames Gateway project will be accounted for by social housing.

Yvette Cooper: The ultimate percentage of affordable housing (which includes social housing) in the Thames Gateway will be dependent upon a number of factors such as local development plan requirements. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not set targets centrally for affordable housing.
	However, Creating Sustainable Communities: Delivering the Thames Gateway sets out our expectation that at least 35 per cent. of new homes will be affordable for rent or purchase, while supporting the different local circumstances across the Gateway. The London Plan, published in February 2004, set an affordability target of 50 per cent. for new developments. Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) for the South East of England and the East of England regions are currently under review. At present neither existing RSS sets a target for affordable housing, but an anticipated target of 30 per cent. was put forward in the Interregional Planning Statement agreed by the three Gateway regional planning authorities.

Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many properties the Government plan to build in (a) Essex, (b) Basildon, (c) Southend, (d) Thurrock and (e) East Tilbury in the context of the Thames Gateway project.

Yvette Cooper: The draft Regional Spatial Strategy developed by the East of England Regional Assembly proposes a total of 43,800 new dwellings in the period 2001 to 2021. This is spilt between the areas as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Thurrock 18,500 
			 Basildon 10,700 
			 Southend 6,000 
			 Castle Point 4,600 
			 Rochford 4,000 
		
	
	These proposals will be tested through the Examination in Public of the East of
	England Plan. This began on 1 November.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Working Together

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to publish the responses to the consultation on Working Together.

Maria Eagle: The consultation ended on 28 October. The Department will publish an analysis of the consultation responses within three months of this date, in line with standard DfES practice.

Adult Guidance Provision

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills where the responsibility for Adult Guidance Provision will lie when the Connexions model is replaced with that proposed in the Every Child Matters and Youth Matters white papers.

Phil Hope: Overall responsibility for securing provision of information, advice and guidance services for adults to help them make informed choices about learning and work rests with the Learning and Skills Council, and there are no plans for this to change.

After-class Tutoring

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary school teachers who participate in after-class tutoring (i) at their school of employment and (ii) elsewhere in West Lancashire.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.

Education

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) classroom assistants and (b) full-time equivalent classroom assistant posts there were in the North-East Milton Keynes constituency in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in maintained sector schools, including pupil referral units, in the North-East Milton Keynes constituency in January of each year.
	The number of full-time equivalent teaching assistant posts in North-East Milton Keynes is not collected centrally.
	
		Full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants(3) in maintained sector schools(4) ,  including pupil referral units, in the North-East Milton Keynes constituency
		
			  FTE teaching assistants 
		
		
			 1997 80 
			 1998 90 
			 1999 100 
			 2000 100 
			 2001 100 
			 2002 100 
			 2003 170 
			 2004 180 
			 2005 180 
		
	
	(3) Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and ethnic minority support staff.
	(4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual School Census.

Education

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of its total budget was spent by Lancashire Local Education Authority on special needs education in West Lancashire in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is collected at local education authority level. West Lancashire is part of Lancashire Local Education Authority and the information supplied is reported at the LEA level.
	
		Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs1, 2 by Lancashire local authority(7) in financial year 200506
		
			  Expenditure 
		
		
			 Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs1, 2, 3, 4 () 109,113,000 
			 Total education revenue expenditure3, 4, 5 () 702,069,000 
			 Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with SEN as a percentage of total education revenue expenditure(8) 15.5 
		
	
	(5) Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as notional SEN and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools.
	(6) The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against notional SEN are indicative only of the amount that might be spent by schools on SEN. In addition to the figures quoted above, Lancashire also budgeted 13.2 million for SEN transport expenditure in 200506.
	(7) Financial data are collected at a local authority level and as such figures for West Lancashire are not available.
	(8) Figures are in cash terms as reported by the LEA and rounded to the nearest 1,000 and may not sum due to rounding.
	(9) Total Education Revenue Expenditure is the combination of the total schools budget and the total local authority budget.
	(10) The data are drawn from Lancashire local authority's 200506 Section 52 Budget Statement (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DfES.

Education Authority Areas

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children in (a) England and (b) London are attending state (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools outside the local education authority area in which they live.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested has been provided in the following table.
	
		Percentage of pupils attending maintained schools outside of the local authority in which they reside
		
			  Pupils resident in: 
			  London England 
		
		
			 Primary(11)   
			 Number 38,947 112,195 
			 Percentage 8.1 3.3 
			
			 Secondary2   
			 Number 85,632 238,454 
			 Percentage 22.6 8.0 
		
	
	(11) Includes middle deemed primary schools.
	(12) Includes middle deemed secondary, CTCs and academies.
	Source:
	Annual School Census 2005 Final.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have claimed the education maintenance allowance in each year that it has been available; and how many she expects to claim it in 200607.

Maria Eagle: The numbers of students who received education maintenance allowances (EMA) are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001/02 115,700 
			 2002/03 125,600 
			 2003/04 127,900 
			 2004/05 297,600 
		
	
	For the academic year 2005/06, we estimate that around 465,000 young people will be eligible to receive EMA on income grounds. This includes unwaged trainees on work based learning programmes funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). From April 2006, those aged 1619 on Entry to Employment or Programme Led Pathways, and their parents/carers, will receive the same package of financial support as is currently available to those who stay on in full time education ie EMA, child benefit, child tax credit and other related benefits.
	For the academic year 2006/07, we estimate that around 555,000 young people will be eligible to receive EMA on income grounds.
	So far, the national EMA scheme has been rolled out to 16 and 17-year-olds. However, in pilot areas EMA is also available to those aged 18. The national scheme will be rolled out to 18-year-olds in September 2006. Unwaged trainees aged 1619 will be eligible from April 2006.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the education maintenance allowance was per capita in each year in which it has been available; and what it will be in (a) 200607 and (b) 200708.

Maria Eagle: The education maintenance allowance (EMA) is a weekly payment of 10, 20 or 30 dependant upon household income paid directly to young people who stay on in learning after they reach the statutory school leaving age. Young people may also receive bonuses of 100 if they remain on their course and make good progress with their learning.
	The household income thresholds for EMA payments in the academic year 2004/05 were:
	Up to 19,630 for the weekly 30 EMA payment
	More than 19,630 but less than or equal to 24,030 for the weekly 20 EMA payment
	More than 24,030 but less than or equal to 30,000 for the weekly 10 EMA payment
	The current household income thresholds for EMA payments (effective from the academic year 2005/06) are:
	Up to 20,270 for the weekly 30 EMA payment
	More than 20,270 but less than or equal to 24,850 for the weekly 20 EMA payment
	More than 24,850 but less than or equal to 30,000 for the weekly 10 EMA payment.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of students receiving the education maintenance allowance completed their qualifications in each year that the allowance has been available.

Maria Eagle: This information is not available as we do not separately record information on qualification completion rates for those claiming education maintenance allowances.

Education White Paper

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role she expects local education authorities to fulfil in relation to (a) promoting, (b) monitoring and (c) commenting on personalised learning in schools in relation to the White Paper Higher Standards, Better Education for All.

Jacqui Smith: We expect all local authorities in their new role as commissioners of education and under their duty to raise educational standards to be promoting and monitoring personalisation of learning to ensure that all schools meet the needs of parents and pupils in their area.
	Local authorities, through their National Strategies consultants and other school improvement staff, will play a vital role in promoting and spreading best practice about personalised learning to all their schools.
	Under the New Relationship with Schools, local authorities will have access to up-to-date and authoritative information to monitor and assess how their schools are serving all their pupils: from the pupil-level data now available; from the School Improvement Partners (SIPs) they employ; and from the more frequent school inspections conducted by Ofsted. Also, through the SIPa nationally accredited expert, typically a head teacherlocal authorities will be able to support, challenge and hold school accountable locally around personalised learning specifically, and continuous school improvement, more generally.

Gifted and Talented Youth

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 118W, on gifted and talented youth, how many and what proportion of members of the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth attended (a) maintained and (b) non-maintained secondary schools in 200405, broken down by local education authority.

Jacqui Smith: The information, as supplied by the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Members in independent schools Percentage of total NAGTY membership Members in maintained schools Percentage of total NAGTY membership Total members 
			   As at 31 March 2005 
		
		
			 England   6.991 50,820 93.009 54,640 
			 North-east  218 0.399 3,340 6.113 3,558 
			 841 Darlington 7 0.013 172 0.315 179 
			 840 Durham 6 0.011 185 0.339 191 
			 390 Gateshead 0 0.000 160 0.293 160 
			 805 Hartlepool 0 0.000 363 0.664 363 
			 806 Middlesbrough 74 0.135 88 0.161 162 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 11 0.020 707 1.294 718 
			 392 North Tyneside 0 0.000 553 1.012 553 
			 929 Northumberland 16 0.029 144 0.264 160 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 0 0.000 191 0.350 191 
			 393 South Tyneside 0 0.000 235 0.430 235 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 84 0.154 248 0.454 332 
			 394 Sunderland 20 0.037 294 0.538 314 
			
			 North-west  432 0.791 6,610 12.097 7,042 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 0 0.000 107 0.196 107 
			 890 Blackpool 2 0.004 100 0.183 102 
			 350 Bolton 0 0.000 167 0.306 167 
			 351 Bury 2 0.004 7 0.013 9 
			 875 Cheshire 0 0.000 573 1.049 573 
			 909 Cumbria 6 0.011 280 0.512 286 
			 876 Halton 0 0.000 62 0.113 62 
			 340 Knowsley 0 0.000 24 0.044 24 
			 888 Lancashire 52 0.095 595 1.089 647 
			 341 Liverpool 215 0.393 642 1.175 857 
			 352 Manchester 2 0.004 164 0.300 166 
			 353 Oldham 0 0.000 527 0.964 527 
			 354 Rochdale 0 0.000 210 0.384 210 
			 355 Salford 0 0.000 160 0.293 160 
			 343 Sefton 5 0.009 390 0.714 395 
			 342 St. Helens 0 0.000 346 0.633 346 
			 356 Stockport 2 0.004 71 0.130 73 
			 357 Tameside 0 0.000 143 0.262 143 
			 358 Trafford 0 0.000 110 0.201 110 
			 877 Warrington 0 0.000 282 0.516 282 
			 359 Wigan 0 0.000 890 1.629 890 
			 344 Wirral 146 0.267 760 1.391 906 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 102 0.187 6,050 11.072 6,152 
			 370 Barnsley 0 0.000 536 0.981 536 
			 380 Bradford 0 0.000 376 0.688 376 
			 381 Calderdale 0 0.000 0 0.000 0 
			 371 Doncaster 0 0.000 424 0.776 424 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0.000 628 1.149 628 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 21 0.038 238 0.436 259 
			 382 Kirklees 1 0.002 409 0.749 410 
			 383 Leeds 31 0.057 274 0.501 305 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 1 0.002 106 0.194 107 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 0 0.000 275 0.503 275 
			 815 North Yorkshire 21 0.038 983 1 .799 1,004 
			 372 Rotherham 0 0.000 242 0.443 242 
			 373 Sheffield 20 0.037 659 1.206 679 
			 384 Wakefield 5 0.009 152 0.278 157 
			 816 York 2 0.004 748 1.369 750 
			 East Midlands 174 0.318 6,167 11.287 6,341 
			 831 Derby 1 0.002 324 0.593 325 
			 830 Derbyshire 3 0.005 1,460 2.672 1,463 
			 856 Leicester 155 0.284 483 0.884 638 
			 855 Leicestershire 6 0.011 884 1.618 890 
			 925 Lincolnshire 2 0.004 1,261 2.308 1,263 
			 928 Northamptonshire 1 0.002 557 1.019 558 
			 892 Nottingham 2 0.004 520 0.952 522 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 0 0.000 678 1.241 678 
			 857 Rutland 4 0.007 0 0.000 4 
			
			 West Midlands 278 0.509 4,909 8.984 5,187 
			 330 Birmingham 17 0.031 330 0.604 347 
			 331 Coventry 5 0.009 606 1.109 611 
			 332 Dudley 0 0.000 347 0.635 347 
			 884 Herefordshire 2 0.004 32 0.059 34 
			 333 Sandwell 0 0.000 249 0.456 249 
			 893 Shropshire 2 0.004 406 0.743 408 
			 334 Solihull 2 0.004 199 0.364 201 
			 860 Staffordshire 113 0.207 650 1.190 763 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0.000 343 0.628 343 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 0 0.000 117 0.214 117 
			 335 Walsall 0 0.000 281 0.514 281 
			 937 Warwickshire 16 0.029 563 1.030 579 
			 336 Wolverhampton 2 0.004 211 0.386 213 
			 885 Worcestershire 119 0.218 575 1.052 694 
			
			 East of England 383 0.701 7,205 13.186 7,588 
			 820 Bedfordshire 7 0.013 511 0.935 518 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 7 0.013 1,161 2.125 1,168 
			 881 Essex 15 0.027 891 1.631 906 
			 919 Hertfordshire 225 0.412 2,954 5.406 3,179 
			 821 Luton 0 0.000 318 0.582 318 
			 926 Norfolk 126 0.231 281 0.514 407 
			 874 Peterborough 1 0.002 400 0.732 401 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 0 0.000 438 0.802 438 
			 935 Suffolk 2 0.004 223 0.408 225 
			 883 Thurrock 0 0.000 28 0.051 28 
			
			 London  880 1.611 5,367 9.822 6,247 
			
			 Inner London 54 0.099 1,705 3.120 1,759 
			 202 Camden 0 0.000 210 0.384 210 
			 201 City of London 12 0.022 0 0.000 12 
			 204 Hackney 0 0.000 59 0.108 59 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 2 0.004 82 0.150 84 
			 309 Haringey 1 0.002 42 0.077 43 
			 206 Islington 0 0.000 0 0.000 0 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0.000 98 0.179 98 
			 208 Lambeth 1 0.002 36 0.066 37 
			 209 Lewisham 0 0.000 38 0.070 38 
			 316 Newham 0 0.000 256 0.469 256 
			 210 Southwark 5 0.009 244 0.447 249 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 0 0.000 20 0.037 20 
			 212 Wandsworth 9 0.016 481 0.880 490 
			 213 Westminster 24 0.044 139 0.254 163 
			
			 Outer London 826 1.512 3,662 6.702 4,488 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 0 0.000 173 0.317 173 
			 302 Barnet 44 0.081 107 0.196 151 
			 303 Bexley 0 0.000 218 0.399 218 
			 304 Brent 29 0.053 356 0.652 385 
			 305 Bromley 370 0.677 208 0.381 578 
			 306 Croydon 34 0.062 256 0.469 290 
			 307 Ealing 197 0.361 292 0.534 489 
			 308 Enfield 0 0.000 110 0.201 110 
			 203 Greenwich 17 0.031 38 0.070 55 
			 310 Harrow 32 0.059 111 0.203 143 
			 311 Havering 0 0.000 352 0.644 352 
			 312 Hillingdon 2 0.004 114 0.209 116 
			 313 Hounslow 0 0.000 430 0.787 430 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 2 0.004 101 0.185 103 
			 315 Merton 2 0.004 4 0.007 6 
			 317 Redbridge 6 0.011 412 0.754 418 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 3 0.005 130 0.238 133 
			 319 Sutton 82 0.150 135 0.247 217 
			 320 Waltham Forest 6 0.011 115 0.210 121 
			
			 South-east  886 1.622 6,834 12.507 7,720 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 4 0.007 44 0.081 48 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 10 0.018 200 0.366 210 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 21 0.038 182 0.333 203 
			 845 East Sussex 48 0.088 110 0.201 158 
			 850 Hampshire 16 0.029 894 1.636 910 
			 921 Isle of Wight 2 0.004 99 0.181 101 
			 886 Kent 55 0.101 1,529 2.798 1,584 
			 887 Medway 0 0.000 89 0.163 89 
			 826 Milton Keynes 0 0.000 31 0.057 31 
			 931 Oxfordshire 45 0.082 699 1.279 744 
			 851 Portsmouth 2 0.004 90 0.165 92 
			 870 Reading 0 0.000 572 1.047 572 
			 871 Slough 0 0.000 30 0.055 30 
			 852 Southampton 3 0.005 130 0.238 133 
			 936 Surrey 544 0.996 853 1.561 1,397 
			 869 West Berkshire 1 0.002 235 0.430 236 
			 938 West Sussex 22 0.040 176 0.322 198 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 113 0.207 176 0.322 289 
			 872 Wokingham 0 0.000 695 1.272 695 
			
			 South-west  467 0.855 4,338 7.939 4,805 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 118 0.216 284 0.520 402 
			 837 Bournemouth 2 0.004 30 0.055 32 
			 801 Bristol, City of 12 0.022 493 0.902 505 
			 908 Cornwall 5 0.009 636 1.164 641 
			 878 Devon 77 0.141 758 1.387 835 
			 835 Dorset 0 0.000 200 0.366 200 
			 916 Gloucestershire 1 0.002 278 0.509 279 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0 0.000 0 0.000 0 
			 802 North Somerset 0 0.000 287 0.525 287 
			 879 Plymouth 2 0.004 273 0.500 275 
			 836 Poole 0 0.000 22 0.040 22 
			 933 Somerset 213 0.390 589 1.078 802 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 0 0.000 140 0.256 140 
			 866 Swindon 0 0.000 200 0.366 200 
			 880 Torbay 0 0.000 64 0.117 64 
			 865 Wiltshire 37 0.068 84 0.154 121

Looked-after Children

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on progress with the target for the level of education achieved by care leavers aged 19 years.

Maria Eagle: The Department publishes progress against all its outstanding PSA targets in its annual departmental report and autumn performance report. Progress against our last spending review targets for 2002, including the one referred to in this question, was reported most recently in the 2004 autumn report, published last November 2004, together with commentary where appropriate. A copy of the report is available from the House of Commons Library.

Public Service Agreements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will assess progress on the public service agreement target to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity among children under 11 years by 2010.

Jacqui Smith: The public service agreement to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity among children under 11 by 2010 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole is the joint responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the Secretary of State for Health, and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Joint cross-departmental programme management arrangements have been established to drive action to meet this target. Progress against the target will be measured through the Health Survey for England. The baseline will be established for the years 200204: data from the 2004 Health Survey will be available this winter. The 2005 Health Survey data will be available next winter, 200607, for the period 200305. We shall assess progress at that point.
	There is no single intervention for obesity. A wide variety of Government programmes make a valuable contribution to tackling the causes of obesity, including, from this Department, advice and support to parents in establishing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle delivered through Sure Start local programmes and children's centres, the Healthy Schools programme, new standards to improve the quality and healthiness of food in schools, increases in the time spent by pupils in PE and school sport delivered through the roll-out of the national PE, School Sports and Club Links strategy, and measures to improve the well-being and emotional health of children and to develop their social and emotional skills.

School Computers

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her most recent estimate is of the ratio of pupils to computers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools(13): Full-time equivalent number of pupils per computer(14), January 2005, England
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Maintained primary 6.7 
			 Maintained secondary 4.1 
		
	
	(13) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(14) Excludes dually registered pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census.

Sexual Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the responses to the Working Together to Safeguard Children consultation exercise.

Maria Eagle: The consultation ended on 28 October. The Department will publish an analysis of the consultation responses within three months of this date, in line with standard DfES practice.

Teachers

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers are employed within the state education sector teaching children aged five to 11 years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held in the format requested.
	The full-time equivalent number of regular primary school teachers, including middle deemed primary school teachers, and excluding nursery schools, in service in January 2005 was 194,800.

Under-achievement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing banding to admission procedures upon under-achievement by children from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Jacqui Smith: Banding systems can have the effect of reducing inequalities in school intakes, ensuring fair access to all and reducing the clustering of disadvantaged pupils in certain schools. Combined with our proposals to extend entitlement to free school transport for more disadvantaged families, the introduction of fair banding could enable more children to access schools to which they were previously unable to gain admission.
	Research has suggested that pupils' attainment at key stage 4 is affected by the characteristics of the school. Schools with a large proportion of disadvantaged pupils tend to have lower results, even after taking account of the prior attainment and other characteristics of the pupils measured in the pupil level annual schools census. Reducing the clustering of disadvantaged pupils in certain schools can benefit these pupils and give them a better chance of achieving their potential in secondary schools.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Casinos

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many representations she has received on increasing the number of regional casinos provided for in the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: We have received a number of letters from local authorities and others in support of an increase in the number of regional casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005.
	Despite these representations, we do not believe the case has yet been made out for an increase, and we are therefore proceeding with implementation on the basis of the one regional casino specified in the Act.

Casinos

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what factors she will consider when reviewing the number of regional casinos provided for in the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: The Government have made it clear that they wish to take a cautious approach to the development of new casinos, in order to assess whether their introduction leads to an increase in problem gambling. The decision to reduce the number of regional casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 from eight to one was consistent with this cautious approach.
	We have not ruled out the possibility of asking Parliament to agree to more regional casino licences, up to a maximum of eight, being made available, if further evidence is presented to us that it is safe and prudent in regulatory terms to do so. A judgment would have to be made which balanced the risks of enlarging the number of people potentially affected against the risks of drawing the initial phase too narrowly to produce reliable evidence.
	However, we do not believe that case has yet been made, and we have no plans to return to Parliament on this issue.

Casinos

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Casino Advisory Panel may recommend an increase in the number of regional casinos provided for in the Gambling Act 2005.

Richard Caborn: No. The role of the independent casino advisory panel is to recommend the areas in which the 17 new casinos permitted by the Act should be located.

Commonwealth Institute Building

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public funding has been spent on the maintenance of the Commonwealth Institute building in each of the last five years; and if she will make further funding available for this purpose.

David Lammy: The Commonwealth Institute ceased to be a non-departmental public body in 2000. It was established as a registered charity and company limited by guarantee with an endowment of 8 million, half of which was for maintenance of the building. In accordance with the severance agreements, it has received no public funding for the last five years. There are no plans to provide funds for maintenance of the building.

Government Art Collection

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 896W, on departmental spending, if she will itemise the works of art bought in 200405; and what the cost of each was.

David Lammy: The works of art purchased by the Government Art Collection (GAC) in the 200405 financial year are listed in a separate document. I am arranging for copies of the document to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The GAC does not publish the prices paid for individual works of art purchased directly from the artist, individual or from a dealer as information of this nature would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests both of the GAC in its purchasing activities generally and of the relevant artist, individual or dealer. This practice is consistent with the practice of the national collections.
	However, the prices paid for works of art acquired at auction are published by the auction houses, and in these cases are listed in the document referred to previously.
	The Government Art Collection is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; its acquisition policy is guided by the Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection which is a non-departmental public body. Members are both independent and ex-officio, including the directors of the National Galleries.

Olympic Games

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has made to the Treasury on funding for the British Olympic Association programme Clearing the Bar; and what her policy is on the source of baseline funding for the UK Olympic team in preparation for 2012.

Richard Caborn: I understand that the British Olympic Association's report 'Clearing the Bar' will be available later this year. We will consider the report then in discussion with UK Sport, the Government's lead adviser on high performance sport.
	Lottery funding is the primary source of public funding for UK's elite athletes. Some Exchequer funding supports UK Sport's World Class Performance Programme by focusing on corporate governance and organisational performance.
	The Government are investing considerable amounts of public funding in high performance sport. In advance of the Beijing Olympic Games, UK Sport will invest a total of 121.6 million lottery and exchequer money in elite sport (200509). This includes investing 75.3 million in the World Class Performance Programme to support the National Governing Bodies in financing their performance plans, and 22.5 million for the Athletes Personal Awards scheme to help athletes pay their sporting and living costs.

Public Libraries

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) books, (b) videos, (c) DVDs and (d) CDs were lent by public libraries in (i) Tamworth and (ii) Staffordshire in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: This information is not held centrally. However, the following table shows the number of loans of sound recordings (encompassing music and talking books) and videos and DVDs for Staffordshire for the period 199798 to 200304. This information is drawn from the Public Library Statistics, published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. These are collected at library authority level and do not contain comparable details for the Tamworth borough area.
	
		
			  Sound recordings Videos/DVDs 
		
		
			 199798 299,348 56,344 
			 199899 287,702 65,518 
			 19992000 266,706 75,927 
			 200001 287,637 92,259 
			 200102 329,090 126,336 
			 200203 332,476 151,122 
			 200304 316,509 167,565

National Minimum Wage

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees in her Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October.

David Lammy: None of my employees were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October.

TRANSPORT

A19

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2005, Official Report, column 597W, on the A19, how many fatalities took place on the A19 between Tyneside and Teesside in the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of fatalities between 2000 and 2004 on the A19 between Teesside and Tyneside are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Fatalities 
		
		
			 2000 5 
			 2001 2 
			 2002 4 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 6

Cycling

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what basis local authorities determine (a) along which stretches of major roads cycle lanes are provided and (b) how those cycle lanes are to interlink with other infrastructure, with particular reference to bus stops.

Derek Twigg: The provision of cycle lanes on major and other roads is a matter for individual highway authorities as is the way in which cycle lanes interlink with other public transport infrastructure such as rail and bus stations.
	Advice to highway authorities on the planning and design of facilities for cycling is given in Cycle-friendly Infrastructure published jointly by the Department, the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Cyclists Touring Club and the Bicycle Association. This publication provides specific advice on cycle lanes and how cycling infrastructure can be integrated with public transport.
	The Department plans to publish an updated version of Cycle-friendly Infrastructure in 2006.

DfT Rail

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the costs were of winding up the Strategic Rail Authority and forming DfT Rail; and what the sources were of these funds.

Derek Twigg: The winding up of the Strategic Rail Authority will not be complete until the end of this financial year. As such, final outturn costs are not available. The current estimate of the financial costs and benefits is set out in the table.
	
		 million
		
			  DfT extra costs SRA cost savings SRA building savings Transition costs Net cost (benefit) 
		
		
			 200506 21.0 19.5 0 11.6 13.1 
			 200607 34.8 39 4.1 0 (8.3) 
			 200708 34.8 39 5.5 0 (9.7) 
			 200809 34.8 39 5.5 0 (9.7) 
			 200910 34.8 39 5.5 0 (9.7) 
			 201011 34.8 39 5.5 0 (9.7)

Freight

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to increase the use of rail to move freight.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 19 July 2005, Official Report, columns 7173 WS, setting out the Government's policy towards rail freight.

Freight

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an assessment has been made of the steps taken by rail franchisees to increase the level of freight moved by rail.

Derek Twigg: Only passenger services are let by franchise. Freight services are provided by freight operating companies (FOCs) who use the rail network under 'open access' provisions.
	Efforts to increase level of freight moved are therefore a matter of private sector competition in the marketplace.

Freight

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of effects on other freight users of the Royal Mail's renegotiation of its night rail contracts.

Derek Twigg: The Royal Mail's re-negotiation of its rail contracts is a commercial matter for the parties involved.

Freight

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much freight was moved by rail in 200405, broken down by (a) region, (b) rail franchisee and (c) time of day that the freight is moved.

Derek Twigg: The total amount of freight moved by rail in 200405 was 20.7 billion net tonne kilometres. The Department does not hold a breakdown of this figure into the categories specified.

Freight

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the rail industry in upgrading freight services to accommodate high cube non-standard containers.

Derek Twigg: Overall cost estimates of network upgrades to accommodate larger containers are carried out on an individual project or route basis. The Department does not hold overall figures.

Freight

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what compensation arrangements will be put in place for freight transporters affected by the Crossrail development.

Derek Twigg: If freight transporters' property rights are affected they will be entitled to compensation under the National Compensation Code. If freight services are disrupted by Crossrail construction, the appropriate rail industry arrangements will apply. In the unlikely event that contractual access rights need to be altered to allow for the operation of Crossrail, the Crossrail Bill provides for compensation.

M1/M18 (Roadworks)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when he expects the roadworks on the M1 motorway south of Junction 21 to be completed; what the original length of the works contract was; and whether the work is likely to be completed on of time;
	(2)  why the roadworks on the M1 motorway south of Junction 21 are not being carried out on a 24-hour basis.

Stephen Ladyman: The resurfacing work on a 6 km length of the M1 south of Junction 21 is due to be completed on 22 December. Work began on 8 July but delays due to bad weather mean that the original completion date of the end of November will not be met.
	Work is being carried out 24 hours a day but, due to health and safety requirements and technical constraints associated with the materials used, most of the surfacing and concrete repairs are carried out in daylight hours. Non safety critical elements such as drainage work are carried out overnight.

M1/M18 (Roadworks)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the M18 motorway was closed at Junction 4 between Friday 16 September and Monday 19 September; for what reasons phased lane closures were not used; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The M18 at Junction 4 was closed between 20.00 on Friday 16 September and 06.00 on Monday 19 September at the request of Doncaster metropolitan borough council to allow them to reconstruct and resurface the roundabout at this junction and resurface the A630.
	The Highways Agency requested phased lane closures however Doncaster metropolitan borough council advised that a full closure was needed for safety reasons and to limit the duration of the disruption to road users.

Merseytravel

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what appraisal documents relating to Merseytram Line 2 he has received from Merseytravel and its consultants; when they were received; when they were audited by the Department and its consultants; what the conclusions of that audit were; and what steps he is taking in considering whether to give Merseytram Line 2 programme entry status.

Derek Twigg: The Department received business case submissions that included appraisal information from Merseytravel in August 2003 and February 2005. The latter updated the 2003 submission in accordance with changes to the scope and costs of the scheme, and also alterations were made to the appraisal to reflect changes in the Department's appraisal guidance. Merseytravel sent a number of additional documents necessary for the appraisal to meet the Department's guidance throughout February and March 2005. These included an Economic Impact Report, a Quantified Risk Assessment, and details of consultation on the environmental impacts of the scheme.
	The Department has worked with Merseytravel on the appraisal of Merseytram Line 2 since 2003. The Department's assessment of the appraisal documentation began in early 2004, although before that, in 2003, it also audited the highway model used to underpin the appraisal results. The Department could not complete its assessment of the appraisal as the documentation was incomplete and it became apparent that the cost estimates for the project were changing. The 2005 documentation goes further towards addressing the Department's concerns, but the Department's focus this year has been to work with Merseytravel on the appraisal of line 1. The line 2 appraisal assumes that in its opening year line 1 will already be open and operational. Therefore some of the benefits claimed in the line 2 appraisal are contingent on city centre sections that would be provided only if the line 1 project goes ahead.

Motorcycle Licences

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his policy is towards EU proposals to raise the minimum age to qualify for a motorcycle licence for machines upwards of 125cc from 17 to 19 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with EU Ministers about proposed changes to the provisions for obtaining motorcycle licences; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The European Union proposals for new requirements in respect of motorcycles are part of the proposed new European Community Directive on driving licences. The Government are continuing to negotiate the terms of the Directive with European partners, through the Council of Ministers.
	The proposals for motorcycle licensing are not as the UK Government would wish, but there is very strong support in other member states and the European Parliament for staged access arrangements for young motorcyclists wishing to drive larger machines, so it is likely that such a proposal will prevail.
	The current proposals involve:
	classifying motorcycles into three categories: small machines not exceeding 125cc cylinder capacity, power not exceeding 11 kW and power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.1 kW/kg; middle sized machines with power not exceeding 35 kW and power/weight not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg and not derived from a vehicle of more than double its power; and large machines;
	introducing a system of staged access for new licences, such that the minimum age for access to middle sized machines would be at least two years greater than the minimum age for access to small machines.
	As currently proposed these rules would come into effect in the UK no sooner than 2012. In the meantime the Government would have the opportunity to take advantage of flexibilities offered by the proposals to devise an appropriate system for training, testing and developing the experience of young motorcyclists in the UK. In devising such a system, the Government intend to continue consulting a wide range of stakeholders with interests in road safety, motorcycling, and the motorcycle industry.

National Port Traffic

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors will be considered in the report commissioned by the Department in respect of national port traffic forecasts to 2030.

Stephen Ladyman: The terms of reference for the report are available in the Libraries of the House.

National Road Network

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his definition is of the national road network for the purposes of his Department's transport policy.

Stephen Ladyman: The road network consists of strategic roads (motorways and all-purpose trunk roads) which are the responsibility of the Highways Agency and local roads which are the responsibility of local highway authorities.
	In December 2004, we announced that for the purpose of considering decisions on major improvement schemes, the strategic road network would be split into two categories: routes of predominantly international and national importance and routes of predominantly regional importance. The criteria used for classifying routes as of international and national importance are as follows:
	to have average daily traffic flows, along the length of the route, of more than 60,000 vehicles;
	to link at least two of the top 20 English cities by population, or link one of the top 20 cities with an airport/seaport or Wales/Scotland;
	to carry heavy goods vehicle traffic equal to or in excess of 15 per cent. as a percentage of all traffic as an average along the length of the route;
	to be represented on the European Union's trans-European transport network.
	It remains our policy that the strategic road network will continue to be protected, managed and maintained by the Highways Agency as a national network.

National Travel Survey

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average (a) number and (b) distance of trips as calculated by the National Travel Survey was by (i) car driver, (ii) car passenger, (iii) bus, (iv) walking and (v) other modes of transport for the purposes of (A) commuting, (B) business, (C) education, (D) escort education, (E) shopping and (F) other reasons, broken down by (1) sex and (2) those (v) under 17 years, (w) 17 to 29 years, (x) 30 to 49 years, (y) 50 to 59 years and (z) over 60 years in the latest two-year period for which survey results are available.

Karen Buck: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

North Sea Coastguard

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the process for selecting the next North Sea Coastguard Rescue Helicopter contract; what discussions the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has had with Highland and Islands local authorities on this matter; what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the current service provided; and what assessment has been made of the technical issues surrounding the use of AS332 Super Puma aircraft.

Stephen Ladyman: The contract currently at issue will ensure the continued provision of Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter services at the four coastguard bases at Sumburgh, Stornoway, Portland and Lee-on-Solent. The contract for all bases is yet to be let but a preferred bidder has been selected.
	The procurement process used has followed European and Government procurement rules. These do not require direct consultation with local committees.
	The contract requirement is based upon operational capability and does not specify helicopter types. A range of different types of aircraft have been put forward by bidders and these have all been assessed against capability criteria.
	The preferred bidder for the five year contract is CMC (Scotia) Ltd. The helicopters under consideration are the Sikorsky S92 for Sumburgh and Stornoway and the Augusta Bell AB139 for Portland and Lee-on-Solent. Both aircraft and proposed methodologies meet the operational capability requirements. The endurance and speed of the new aircraft types exceed those of the current S61N.
	The evaluation team considered carefully the relative merits of the Preferred bidder's proposal to use new aircraft in the SAR role, but concluded that benefits that would derive from the use of new technology offset any potential associated risks.
	The MCA remains committed to the provision of high quality SAR services in the UK, and the contract will require the continued provision of those services to the Highlands and Islands. There will be no reduction in the standard of service as a result of the proposed new contract.

Port of London Authority

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the (a) functions and (b) existence of the Port of London Authority will be reviewed in the context of the review of the Greater London Authority's functions.

Stephen Ladyman: No.

Ports Police Forces

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the establishment of ports police forces.

Stephen Ladyman: Port police forces are constituted under local Acts which provide individual ports with their statutory powers. Decisions on establishing and maintaining existing ports police force are matters for the individual ports.

Rail Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects the target of improving punctuality and reliability of rail services to at least 85 per cent. by 2006 to be met.

Derek Twigg: Current performance remains on track to achieve or better the Industry Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average (PPM MAA) target of 85 per cent. by March 2006.

Rail Services

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Office of the Rail Regulator to make a decision regarding the bid by Grand Central to run a rail service between Sunderland, Hartlepool and London.

Derek Twigg: I am advised by the Office of Rail Regulation that it hopes to reach a decision on the application by Grand Central by early February 2006.

Rail Services

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on rail services in Kent with particular reference to issues raised with the Rail Minister at a meeting with hon. Members representing constituencies in Kent on 9 June.

Derek Twigg: The future pattern of rail services in Kent will be determined through the new Integrated Kent Franchise to be awarded before the end of this year. I have written to the hon. Member following our meeting.

Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) total liabilities are and (b) estimated asset base is of Network Rail; and whether all the (i) assets and (ii) liabilities are on the Government balance sheet.

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the off-balance sheet liabilities are of Network Rail; and whether this amount is gross of any assets.

Derek Twigg: Full details of Network Rail's liabilities and assets are set out in the company's Annual Report 2005, available from the website:
	www.networkrail.co.uk
	Network Rail has been classified as a private sector entity by the Office for National Statistics for the purposes of the UK National Accounts. The Secretary of State provides credit support arrangements for Network Rail's borrowing which are recorded as contingent liabilities in the Department for Transport's accounts. As at 31 March 2005, these arrangements supported 15.6 billion of net borrowing by Network Rail.

Railways

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether his Department is working on rail network access options for the proposed Crossrail services which would seek to ensure that all users of the rail network are provided with open and reliable access;
	(2)  for what reasons other rail network users have not been consulted on the development of rail network access options for the proposed Crossrail services;
	(3)  whether there are plans to use the acquisition power provided to the operators of Crossrail.

Derek Twigg: I shall publish a consultation paper describing the content of the Crossrail access option that will be developed and submitted to the Office of Rail Regulation for approval. The access option would in due course confer access rights for Crossrail services on Network Rail's network and the consultation paper describes how these rights relate to other users. In parallel a cross-industry timetabling working group is examining the timetable simulation work undertaken so far. It will identify and seek to resolve pinch points between the access needs of all operators, where possible by adjusting the timetable. If this is insufficient to resolve the problem it will report options to a railway forum that I chair.
	The Crossrail Bill contains a variety of acquisition powers in relation to land and other rights in connection with the construction and operation of Crossrail. The Secretary of State, not the operator, has certain powers in relation to railway access rights.

Railways

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is for ensuring the personal safety of travellers on railways; and what measures the Department has in place to ensure passenger safety is maintained.

Derek Twigg: The Department and the Health  Safety Executive's HM Railway Inspectorate work closely with the British Transport Police and the rail industry in seeking to maintain passenger safety.
	We are committed to reducing crime and the fear of crime wherever it occurs in the transport system. For example in 1998 we launched the Secure Stations Scheme, which is designed to improve security at overground and underground stations for passengers and staff, and we have recently published guidance on improving personal security on trains.

Railways

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress the Department has made towards making sure railways meet the requirements set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 2004; how he measures progress; and what procedures will be in put place to deal with non-compliance.

Derek Twigg: Accessibility improvements are being delivered by different mechanisms such as franchising, major projects, investment in rolling stock and maintenance and renewal of the rail network.
	The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998 (RVAR) made under Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 require that all new passenger rolling stock introduced from 1 January 1999 is accessible to disabled people, including wheelchair users. By the end of this year 4,500 rail vehicles will have been introduced which meet the requirements of those regulations.
	The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 requires that from no later than 1 January 2020 all rail vehicles will have to comply. It also provides for a certification regime for new rail vehicles and an enforcement regime based on civil rather than the criminal sanctions provided in the 1995 Act. We plan to bring in those changes from the end of next year.
	On stations, under Part 3 of the Act operators are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that disabled people do not find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access their services. Where a disabled person believes that they have been discriminated against contrary to Part 3 they can bring a claim against the operator to the county court (in England and Wales) and to the sheriff's court (in Scotland).
	From the end of 2006 it is proposed that similar duties should also apply to the train service itself though, given the provisions of the RVAR, those duties will not extend to making physical alterations to vehicles.
	We will be publishing a strategy for rail accessibility in the new year which will include details of the initial allocation of the 370 million ring-fenced Access for All funding which we announced in March 2004 to deliver station access improvements over the next 10 years.

Road Accidents

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal motor vehicle accidents, (b) fatalities, (c) motor vehicle accidents resulting in serious injury and (d) motor vehicle accidents requiring the attendance of an ambulance there were on the A47 Acle Straight in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The data related to A47 Acle Straight are in a format supplied by the Highways Agency.
	The period of data covers 1 January 2000 to 30 September 2005.
	
		Total accidents involving personal injury
		
			  Fatal Serious Slight Total 
		
		
			 2000 0 1 11 12 
			 2001 0 7 24 31 
			 2002 1 3 18 22 
			 2003 0 2 18 20 
			 2004 1 5 14 20 
			 2005(15) 1 0 8 9 
			 Total 3 18 93 114 
		
	
	
		Number of casualties involved in those accidents
		
			  Fatal Serious Slight Total 
		
		
			 2000 0 1 14 15 
			 2001 0 7 45 52 
			 2002 1 3 28 32 
			 2003 0 2 28 30 
			 2004 1 7 21 29 
			 2005(15) 1 1 20 22 
			 Total 3 21 156 180 
		
	
	(15) 2005 data are current up to 30 September 2005.
	The Highways Agency does not hold information on the attendance of ambulances at accidents. The Ambulance Service may be able to provide this information.

Road Accidents

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal automobile accidents occurred in Coventry South in the last 12 months.

Stephen Ladyman: There were two fatal accidents involving cars in Coventry South in 2004, the last 12 months for which data is available.

Road Maintenance

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the relationship between the relative level of expenditure on routine road maintenance by highway authorities and the cost of capital road replacement works by those authorities.

Stephen Ladyman: For local authorities funding for routine road maintenance is provided through the formula spending share element of revenue support grant and for capital road maintenance through the maintenance block element of the Local Transport Plan settlement. Neither of these provisions is ring fenced. Routine maintenance consists of work to keep the road network safe and in good condition, for example, minor repairs, drainage cleansing, sign cleaning, grass cutting, gritting in winter, street lighting work and energy, etc. Capital maintenance consists of structural work to strengthen and renew carriageways, footways, bridges and street lighting columns.
	The following table shows the outturns for revenue and capital maintenance in England outside London for the six years to 200304, the last year for which outturn figures are available.
	Road maintenance in London is a matter for the Mayor and the Greater London Assembly. Figures for motorways and trunk road maintenance are not comparable with local roads as the method of accounting used, renewals accounting, is different.
	
		Local highway maintenance expenditureEngland excluding London
		
			  million 
			  Capital outturn Revenue outturn Total outturn 
		
		
			 199899 256 1,358 1,614 
			 19992000 308 1,394 1,702 
			 200001 373 1,429 1,802 
			 200102 648 1,401 2,049 
			 200203 815 1,278 2,093 
			 200304 795 1,362 2,157

Speed Cameras

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the amount of revenue raised from speed cameras in Coventry.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department's information on fines following offences detected by safety cameras (both speed and red light cameras) relates to the totals for safety camera partnerships, and not to individual camera sites or boroughs.
	Coventry is part of the West Midlands Safety Camera Partnership. The following table shows the total of fines following offences detected by the West Midlands partnership since joining the national programme in October 2002:
	
		
			  Total fines 
		
		
			 200203 (6 months) 704,520 
			 200304 2,760,000 
		
	
	As a result of the partnership joining in October 2002, the total fines collected in 200203 relate to six months only and reflect the fact that the partnership was in its early stages. Figures for 200405 will be published on the DfT website in due course.

Train Operating Companies

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which company holds each rail franchise; what targets each has (a) met and (b) missed; and when each franchise (i) began and (ii) will expire.

Derek Twigg: Details of franchise holders and the start and end dates of their franchises are set out in the table.
	Franchise agreements contain numerous targets relating to service quality, punctuality, financial performance, customer service and a range of other issues. It is not practicable to list them all here. However, customer service information is available from the Office of Rail Regulation's website and punctuality data from Network Rail's website.
	Franchise agreements and associated documents are available through the Department for Transport's Public Register:
	
		
			 Franchise operator Franchisee Franchise start date Franchise end date 
		
		
			 West Coast Trains Limited Virgin Rail Group Ltd. 19 February 1997 31 March 2012 
			 Crosscountry Trains Limited Virgin Rail Group Ltd. 5 January 1997 11 November 2007 
			 Chiltern M40 Trains Ltd. 3 March 2002 (with a shrink-back provision if future enhancements are not met. At present the minimum franchise term is confirmed at 12 years) 31 December 2021 
			 Central Trains Limited National Express Group plc. 2 March 1997 (16)31 March 2006 
			 Silverlink Train Services Limited National Express Group plc. 6 February 1997 15 October 2006 
			 Southern Govia Ltd. 12 May 2003 31 December 2009 (or an earlier date if notice served on franchise(e) 
			 Gatwick Express National Express Group plc. 28 April 1996 29 April 2011 
			 First Great Western Link Great Western Holdings Ltd. (First Group plc.) 1 April 2004 1 April 2006 
			 First Great Western Trains Great Western Holdings Ltd. (First Group plc.) 5 February 1996 1 April 2006 
			 Arriva Trains Wales Arriva Trains Ltd. 8 December 2003 14 October 2018 
			 C2c Rail Limited National Express Group plc. 26 May 1996 25 May 2011 
			 Wessex (Interim franchise agreement) National Express Group plc. 14 October 2001 31 March 2006 
			 Midland Mainline National Express Group plc. 28 April 1996 26 April 2008 
			 WAGN National Express Group plc. Original Franchise Agreement made on 5 December 1996 extended on 1 April 2004 Original termination date 1 April 2004 extended to 1 April 2006 
			 Thameslink Govia Ltd. Original Franchise Agreement made on 10 February 1997 extended on 1 April 2004 Original termination date 1 April 2004 extended to 1 April 2006 
			 Trans Pennine Express First/Keolis TransPennine Holdings Ltd. 1 February 2004 1 February 2012 (with a possible five years extension of not more than 65 reporting periods) 
			 ONE National Express Group plc. 1 April 2004 1 April 2014 
			 South West Trains Stagecoach Group plc. 2 February 2004 2 February 2007 
			 South Eastern Trains SET (Holdings) Ltd. 9 November 2003 1 April 2006 
			 Northern Northern rail Ltd. 12 December 2004 18 September 2011 
			 GNER Great North Eastern Rail Ltd. 1 May 2005 1 May 2012 (with an automatic further 3 years if targets are met) 
			 Island Line Stagecoach Group plc. 4 February 2004 4 February 2007 
		
	
	(16) but to be further extended to 11 November 2007

Train Operating Companies

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have taken place with the rail franchises on safety; how much each franchisee spent on safety in 200405; what assessment has been made by the Department about the adequacy of this spending.

Derek Twigg: As a condition of their licence from the Office of Rail Regulation, train operators are required to have a Railway Safety Case which has been assessed and accepted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), or an agreed exemption. Operators' safety cases are reviewed by HSE every three years. In addition, during the re-franchising process HSE is consulted and provides advice to the Department for Transport on the quality of bidders' proposals in terms of health and safety. Spending on safety is not separately accounted for by train operators.

Train Operating Companies

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of liaison is required to take place between rail franchises and passenger groups; how many of these meetings have taken place; and what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of such meetings.

Derek Twigg: Franchise agreements requires train operators to consult with statutory consumer bodies over any changes that will impact on passengers. These consumer bodies are the Rail Passengers Council and London TravelWatch. Both of these organisations are able to pursue any dissatisfaction they may have on the effectiveness of such meetings with the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Regulation, as the appropriate enforcement bodies. No such representations have been received.

Train Operating Companies

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what percentage of train operating companies' total costs were represented by labour costs in each year between 1997 and 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the (a) average and (b) total combined operating profit of train operating companies before interest and tax (i) without and (ii) including subsidies was in each year between 1997 and 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the (a) average and (b) total combined amount of dividends paid by train operating companies to their parent companies was in each year between 1997 and 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many emergency bailouts of train operating companies there were in each year between 1997 and 2004; what the total cost of each bailout was; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what the total amount of subsidies paid by the Strategic Rail Authority to train operating companies was in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001, (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Train Operating Companies

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which franchising agreements between Network Rail and train operating companies (a) ensure value for money, (b) encourage competition in the railway industry, (c) are in the interest of taxpayers, (d) protect the interest of passengers and (e) transfer risk to the private sector.

Derek Twigg: Franchising agreements are made between the Department and the train operators rather than with Network Rail.
	The Department seeks to ensure that the interests of passengers and the taxpayer are protected through the franchise specification and tendering process. The assessment of value for money is undertaken at the point of franchise re-letting when the costs and benefits of propositions from franchise bidders are evaluated.
	The new franchise template is designed to ensure that an appropriate level of risk is transferred to the private sector.
	Competition within the rail industry is secured through the competitive tendering process for franchises. The delivery of these benefits is monitored and enforced through continuous management of the franchise contract, which is carried out by a specialist team within the Department.

Train Operating Companies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what residual interest he retains in the pension funds of the train operating companies; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Train operating companies (TOCs) participate in the Railways Pension Scheme, with generally separate sections for each TOC employer. It is the responsibility of each TOC to manage the pension arrangements for its staff, in accordance with general pensions legislation and the specific legislation relating to railway pensions.
	The Secretary of State's interest in the pension funds of the TOCs is contained in the terms of the franchise agreement with each franchise holder.

Train Operating Companies

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial requirements are made of rail franchisees during the tendering process.

Derek Twigg: No additional financial burden is placed on incumbent franchisees during the tendering process. They are, however, required to provide access to information (including financial and operational information) in connection with the preparation for the re-letting of a franchise and to provide information in response to bidders' clarification questions during the bidding process.

Violence Against Passengers

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers travelling by (a) rail, (b) bus and (c) taxi have been the victims of offences of violence in (i) Surrey and (ii) England in each of the last 10 years.

Derek Twigg: The number of victims of violence recorded by the British Transport Police over the last seven financial years in Surrey and England is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Surrey England 
		
		
			 199899 154 7,847 
			 19992000 140 8,649 
			 200001 179 8,933 
			 200102 264 9,603 
			 200203 272 9,838 
			 200304 324 11,177 
			 200405 344 11,642 
		
	
	Comparable figures are not available for years before 199899, due to a change in Home Office counting rules.
	The Department does not collect statistics on the number of passengers who have been victims of violent offences while travelling on buses or in taxis.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Claimants

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance claimants with recorded job entries in the UK, excluding Pathways to Work pilot areas, (a) returned to incapacity benefits and (b) claimed jobseeker's allowance within (i) one month (ii) two months (iii) six months and (iv) 12 months in the latest period for which data are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Benefit Claimants

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measure of sustainability for recorded job entries his Department uses for assessing job entries for people on incapacity benefits and severe disability allowance in (a) Pathways to Work pilot areas and (b) the UK excluding Pathways areas.

Anne McGuire: The definition of sustained employment used in the new deal for disabled people, where referral has been made through a Job Broker, is employment for 13 out of 39 weeks.
	Information on incapacity benefits recipients returning to sustained employment is not currently available. However, this will be examined as part of the evaluation of the Pathways to Work pilots and we will publish this information once it becomes available.

Benefit Claimants

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Scotland do not receive a social security benefit.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many compensation payments have been made by the Child Support Agency for maladministration since 1 January 1998; how many of these exceeded (a) 1,000, (b) 10,000, (c) 50,000 and (d) 90,000; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. David Laws, dated 15 November 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many compensation payments had been made by the Child Support Agency for maladministration since 1st January 1998; how many of these had exceeded (a) 1,000 (b) 10,000 (c) 50,000 and (d) 90,000 and if he would make a statement.
	The CSA does not hold sufficiently robust information for dates before 1 December 2001 for me to give you the data over the entire period requested. I apologise for this but can give you information on payments, in accordance with the Departmental Guide to Financial Redress for Maladministration, made since 1 December 2001 up until 10 November 2005.
	The table below contains the available information:
	
		
			 Total number of payments  
		
		
			 Made since 1 December 2001 35,558 
			 Under 1,000 33,227 
			 Between 1,000 and 9,999 2,289 
			 Between 10,000 and 49,999 42 
			 Over 50,000 0 
		
	
	Please note that whilst the minimum that we pay on consolatory payment is 25, there may also be awards for less than that amount to reimburse costs such as telephone charges that a client may have incurred in contacting the Agency. The figure of 33,227 contains these amounts.
	I hope this is helpful.

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Office from May 1997 broken down by act.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) Social Security Act 1998
	(i) section 60 substitutes a new section 113 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 which confers power for regulations under defined social security legislation to provide that any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision contained in the regulations shall be guilty of an offence;
	(ii) section 61 substitutes a new section 114 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 which makes it an offence for a person to be knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of contributions which he or another person is liable to pay;
	(b) Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999
	(i) section 9 inserts a new section 111A into the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (monitoring of employers payments to personal pension schemes), subsection (12) of which makes it an offence for a person to be knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the direct payment arrangements under that section so far as they affect deductions on behalf of the employee;
	(ii) section 10(1) substitutes for section 49(8) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 new subsections (8) to (13), subsection (11 ) of which makes it an offence for a person to be knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the obligation imposed by subsection (8).
	(c) Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000
	(i) section 13 inserts a new section 14 A into the Child Support Act 1991 which makes it an offence for a person required to comply with regulations under section 4 (4) and 7(5) of that Act, or persons specified in regulations under section 14(1)(a) of that Act, to make a representation which he knows to be false or to provide or knowingly cause or allow to be provided a document or other information which he knows to be false;
	(ii) section 16(5) also amends section 27(3) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 to make it an offence for a person to fail to produce his driving licence and its counterpart to a court as required by section 40 B of the Child Support Act 1991;
	(d) Social Security Fraud Act 2001
	(i) section 2(3)(a) inserts a new paragraph (ab) into subsection (1) of section 111 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 to make it an offence for a person to refuse or neglect to comply with any requirements under section 109BA or 110A (power of the Secretary of State or local authority to require electronic access to information) or with any requirement of any arrangement entered under that section to allow authorised officers access;
	(ii) section 16 amends section 111A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (dishonest representations for obtaining benefit etc.) to extend the circumstances in which a person is to be guilty of an offence if there has been a change of circumstances which he knows will affect entitlement to benefit (either his or another person's) , the change is not one which is excluded by regulations from the changes which are required to be notified, and he dishonestly fails, or dishonestly causes or allows another person to fail, to give a prompt notification of the change;
	(iii) section 16 also amends section 112 of that Act (false representations for obtaining benefit etc) to extend the circumstances in which a person is to be guilty of an offence if he fails or causes another to fail to give a prompt notification of any change which he knows affect entitlement to any benefit;
	(e) Pensions Act 2004
	(i) section 77(1) makes it an offence for a person, without reasonable excuse, to refuse to provide information or produce a document when required to do so under section 72 by the Regulator;
	(ii) section 77(2) makes it an offence for a person to intentionally delay or obstruct an inspector exercising powers under sections 73 to 75 or to refuse to produce or secure the production of any document or to answer a question or provide information when required;
	(iii) section 77(5) makes it an offence for a person intentionally or without reasonable excuse to alter, suppress or destroy any document which he is required to produce under section 72 or 75;
	(iv) section 80 makes it an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly provide the Regulator with information which is false or misleading in a material particular in certain specified circumstances;
	(v) section 82 makes it an offence for a person to disclose restricted information in contravention of that section;
	(vi) section 193 makes it an offence for a person to fail to provide information to the Board of the Pension Protection Fund or to obstruct a person appointed by the Board or to refuse to produce a document in circumstances similar to those described under (i) to (iii);
	(vii) section 195 and 197 respectively make similar provision as in (iv) and (v) for providing information which is false or misleading to the Board or disclosing restricted information;
	(viii) section 256 makes it an offence for a trustee or manager to be reimbursed out of the assets of a pension schemes for fines or penalties in contravention of that section;
	(ix) Schedule 4, paragraph 11 makes it an offence for a person ,without reasonable excuse, to refuse or fail to attend or to give evidence to the Pensions Regulator Tribunal or to alter, suppress or destroy any document which he is liable to produce to the Tribunal or to refuse to produce a document;
	(f) Disability Discrimination Act 2005
	(i) section 10(3) inserts a new subsection (2B) into section 16B of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which makes it an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly make a statement to the effect that publication of a particular advert would not be unlawful by reason of the operation of subsection(2);
	(ii) section 7(2) (b) prospectively adds to the definition of relevant document in section 49 (1) of the 1995 Act a rail vehicle accessibility compliance certificate so as to make it an offence for such a document to be forged, altered etc or for a false statement to be made for the purpose of obtaining such a certificate;
	(iii) section 8(2) prospectively inserts a new subsection (5) into section 49 of the 1995 Act to make it an offence to falsely pretend to be a person authorised to inspect rail vehicles;
	(iv) section 9 inserts a new section 21A into the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 in relation to badges issued outside Great Britain, subsections (4) and (8) of which respectively make it an offence to display a badge purporting to be a recognised badge unless it is a recognised badge and is displayed in accordance with regulations and to fail, without reasonable excuse, to produce a badge when required to do so by a constable or enforcement officer.

Denise Christina Arathoon

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of (a) income support and (b) other benefits are affected by the outcome of Denise Christina Arathoon v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; and what estimate he has made of the overall cost to his Department of the judgment of the Court of Appeal of 24 June.

James Plaskitt: We estimate that the number of claimants affected will be less than 2,000. It is not possible to break this down by benefit. The total overall estimated cost is 110,350 which consists of estimated Departmental legal costs of 10,350 plus additional benefit expenditure estimated at 100,000.

Departmental Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will break down by expenditure and capital the 200304 Departmental Expenditure Limit baseline against which the financial savings of 960 million from annual efficiencies outlined in the Spending Review 2004 are calculated.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 11 November 2005
	The information requested can be found in the DWP Departmental Report 2005, Chapter 6, Table 1, a copy of which is available in the Library.

Departmental Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide a financial reconciliation between the Department of Work and Pensions 200405 Capital Budget of 435 million in the 2004 Spending Review (Table 19.1) and the 200405 estimated outturn Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit of 299 million in the Department of Work and Pensions Departmental Report 2005.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 11 November 2005
	The reason for the difference between the capital budget of 435 million in the 2004 Spending Review (Table 19.1) and the estimated outturn of 299 million was due to delayed spending on this budget as a result of rescheduling activities and associated expenditure on the Department's Change Programme, primarily on the rationalisation and modernisation of the estate and IT projects.

Departmental Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide a financial reconciliation between the Department of Work and Pensions 200405 Resource Budget of 7,849 million in the 2004 Spending Review (Table 19.1) and the 200405 estimated outturn Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit of 8391million in the Department of Work and Pensions Departmental Report 2005.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 11 November 2005
	The Department for Work and Pensions 200405 Resource Budget of 7,849 million represents the Department's funding budget as calculated for Spending Review 2004 baseline purposes. This excluded the Department's stock of accumulated end year flexibility and made adjustments for other non recurrent funding streams. The reconciliation between the Resource Budget and the estimated outturn on the Departmental Expenditure Limit of 8,391 million is set out in the table.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 Resource budget per 2004 Spending Review (Table 19.1) 7,849 
			 Use of end year flexibilitymain items:  
			 Welfare modernisation programme 115 
			 Roll out of Jobcentre Plus offices 87 
			 Grant spending on European social fund programmes 67 
			 Housing and council tax benefit administration grants 48 
			   
			 Spending Review 2004 Adjustments:  
			 Assumed transfer of resources from revenue to capital variance 152 
			 Other adjustmentsnon recurrent funds 60 
			 Other items 13 
			 Resource Outturn per Departmental Report 2005 8,391

Departmental Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will break down the leasehold improvements expenditure for 200304 and the estimated outturn for 200405 noted in Table 4 of the Department of Work and Pensions Departmental Report 2005 (Cm 6539) (a) by activity, (b) leasehold property and (c) expenditure type.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 11 November 2005
	The figures in Table 4 are not the in year expenditure, rather they are the closing net book value of the asset category. That is the value of the accumulated expenditure less the accumulated depreciation.
	
		200304 Leasehold improvements spend
		
			   million 
		
		
			 Opening net book value 12 
			 Reclassification 107 
			 Additions 237 
			 Less Depreciation (26) 
			 Closing net book value 330 
		
	
	The leasehold improvements relate to a programme of refurbishment of the Jobcentre Plus customer facing offices following the creation of the agency from the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency. The expenditure includes items such as structural improvements, flooring, ceilings, signage, painting and decorating.
	The reclassification figure included above relates to refurbishment costs that were previously included under the asset category of fixtures and fittings, and more accurately recorded as leasehold improvements in 200304.
	
		200405 Estimated outturn
		
			   million 
		
		
			 Opening net book value 118 
			 Additions 162 
			 Less Depreciation (21) 
			 Closing net book value 259 
		
	
	The estimated figures for 200405 were prepared at the time of the Spending Review 2004 calculations and are subject to subsequent changes in forecast outturns and adjustments, such as reclassifications, hence the variance on closing and opening book values between finance years.

Housing Benefit Sanctions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will list those that (a) rejected and (b) supported the introduction of housing benefit sanctions for those guilty of antisocial behaviour in responding to consultation on this proposal in August 2003;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of (a) local authority, (b) registered social landlord, (c) private landlord and (d) Community Safety Partnership respondents to his Department's consultation in August 2003 on housing benefit sanctions against those guilty of antisocial behaviour were against the proposals;
	(3)  what view the Social Security Advisory Committee expressed in response to his Department's consultation in August 2003 on housing benefit sanctions against those guilty of antisocial behaviour;
	(4)  for what reasons his Department decided not to implement housing benefit sanctions for those guilty of antisocial behaviour following consultation in 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what assessment his Department made of the potential impact of housing benefit sanctions on family members of a person committing antisocial behaviour who were not themselves responsible for antisocial behaviour.

James Plaskitt: The outcome of the consultation on housing benefit sanctions for antisocial behaviour was published on 27 January 2004 and an analysis of responses is available in the Library. This analysis sets out which organisations supported the proposals or not, including the response from the Social Security Advisory Committee. On the same day, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Chris Pond, issued a written ministerial statement explaining the Government's reasons for deciding not to proceed 27 January 2004, Official Report, columns 910WS.
	In considering whether to proceed with a sanction, the Department looked at a number of issues, including the implications of sanctioning family members not involved in antisocial behaviour. The Department did not assess what the practical effect of a sanction would be although had we gone ahead, we would have tested the impact by piloting first.

IT Projects

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many IT projects have been developed for his Department since 2001; and whether he has agreed to make public Gateway Reviews for these projects (a) in full and (b) in part.

Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has registered) in excess of 600 projects since its inception, including initiatives that were first registered by the Department for Social Security and the Department for Employment and Education. DWP does not differentiate between information technology projects and other types of project such as business change. Currently the Department has in excess of 100 individual projects, which embraces both information technology and business change.
	All Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Gateway Reviews are conducted on a confidential basis for the senior responsible owner (SRO) and ownership of the report rests with the SRO. This approach promotes an open and honest exchange between the programme/project and review teams delivering maximum added value. The DWP has a strong record in adopting OGC policy and best practice initiatives and all the Department's mission critical/high and medium risk projects are subject to OGC Gateway Reviews. The Department does not publish Gateway Review Reports as a matter of course, in line with OGC policy. OGC and Departments have received a number of Gateway requests under Freedom of Information and the first of these is currently on appeal to the Information Commissioner.

Lone Parents

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of lone parents on income support have been on the benefit for (a) less than two years, (b) less than five years and (c) less than 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: The information is in the table.
	
		Lone parents in receipt of income support, by duration: Great Britain May 2005
		
			 Duration Number of lone parents Proportion of lone parents 
		
		
			 All 787,400 100.0 
			 Up to 2 years 279,600 35.5 
			 2 years and up to 5 years 223,300 28.4 
			 5 years and up to 10 years 169,900 21.6 
			 10 years and over 114,600 14.6 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Percentages are given to one decimal place.
	3. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	4. 'Lone Parents' are defined as single recipients of income support aged under 60, with a child under 16, and who are not in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disability allowance.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Pensions

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the net cost to his Department of raising the level of the basic state pension to that of minimum income under the Pension credit system.

Stephen Timms: The additional cost to the Exchequer, net of savings in income-related benefits and additional tax revenues, of paying a basic state pension at the rate of the guarantee credit element of pension credit is 8.1 billion in 200607.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for Great Britain in 200506 price terms, using the GDP deflator index, rounded to the nearest 100 million. It assumes that the policy change takes place from 200607.
	2. The costs which are all net take into account income-related benefit offsets such as pension credit and housing benefit, and tax offsets, which are calculated using the DWP simulation model and April 2006 benefit rates and are projected forward.
	3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2005 assumptions and use 2003 based population projections.
	4. The standard method of treatment of couples and category B rates were used. This implies that the category B rates are not the guarantee credit couple-single rates, but approx 60 per cent. of the single rate.

Pensions

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will change the policy on the starting date for an individual's state pension from the Monday after their 65th birthday, to the day of their 65th birthday.

Stephen Timms: Entitlement to state pension begins with the pay-day on or following the day on which the individual attains state pension agecurrently age 60 for women and 65 for men. The payday is commonly a Monday. There are no plans to change these arrangements.

Pensions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much tax relief was given to people with stakeholder pensions in each year since their introduction;
	(2)  what representations he has received on (a) the future of stakeholder pensions and (b) the level of tax relief levels they receive.

Stephen Timms: The last written consultation exercise undertaken on stakeholder pensions was on the 2005 amendment regulations, which introduced provisions on lifestyling, and the charge cap. The consultation ended on 17 December 2004, and we received 22 responses to the exercise, none of which commented on the tax relief.
	The estimates for the cost of tax relief on contributions to stakeholder pensions for each year are in the table.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200102 250 
			 200203 400 
			 200304 600 
			 200405 750

Pensions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether research has been commissioned into the pension prospects for (a) lone parents and (b) black and minority ethnic women over the next 20 years.

Stephen Timms: The report Women and pensions: The evidence published on 2 November, and available in the Library, provides a detailed analysis of women's pension position and draws together the latest research findings on key influences on women's ability to build up pension entitlement. The report considers the impact of lone parenthood and family caring responsibilities and examines pension entitlement among ethnic minority women.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has also commissioned new research which will examine the expectations, priorities and saving and working decisions among both working-age people and pensioners from ethnic minority groups.

Pensions

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Scotland are in receipt of a state pension.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the table.
	
		Number of people in Scotland in receipt of a state pension as at 31 May 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Total 939,700 
			 Female 602,300 
			 Male 337,400 
		
	
	Note:
	Case load figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

State Pension Claimants

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of the UK state pension were resident in (a) Pakistan and (b) the Indian sub-continent in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the table.
	
		
			 Country Number of recipients of UK state pension as at 31 May 2005 
		
		
			 Pakistan 4,900 
			 India 4,100 
			 Bangladesh 2,600 
			 Nepal (17) 
			 Bhutan (17) 
			 Sri Lanka 600 
			 Maldive Islands (17) 
		
	
	(17) Less than 50.
	Note:
	Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Telephone Helplines

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone calls were made to the pension credit helpline in each month from April 2001 to September 2005; how many of these calls (a) were handled, (b) received an engaged tone and (c) were abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The administration of The Pension Service is a matter for the Chief Executive, Miss Alexis Cleveland. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. David Laws, dated 15 November 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many calls were made to the Pension Credit Application Line (PCAL) in each month from April 2001 to September 2005; and how many of these calls were (a) handled (b) received an engaged tone and (c) abandoned. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Pension Service.
	Advance applications to Pension Credit commenced in April 2003 and PCAL opened their lines to the public on 7th April 2003. Since its opening, the Pension Credit Application Line has answered over five million phone calls up to the end of September 2005.
	. The correct figure for the sub total calculations for PCAL, calls answered should be 5,083,496 and not 5,083,456.
	The following table shows calls received at the centre, calls answered by an advisor; calls receiving an engaged tone and calls abandoned. The data is from 7th April 2003 until the end of September 2005.
	
		
			 Abandoned 
			  Calls offered Calls handled by an adviser Calls receiving an engaged tone Before adviser queue In adviser queue 
		
		
			 April 2003 20,811 19,836 n/a n/a 975 
			 May 2003 32,752 32,733 n/a n/a 18 
			 June 2003 60,235 58,446 n/a n/a 386 
			 July 2003 118,223 113,483 n/a n/a 948 
			 August 2003 181,861 177,540 n/a n/a 313 
			 September 2003 427,896 380,488 n/a 13,699 15,794 
			 October 2003 482,782 451,642 1 14,134 13,370 
			 November 2003 318,278 303,385 45 11,841 2,831 
			 December 2003 193,895 184,057 0 7,846 1,165 
			 January 2004 495,558 458,136 3 24,547 12,079 
			 February 2004 433,790 402,247 8 18,734 11,839 
			 March 2004 430,072 404,959 0 17,814 8,154 
			 April 2004 346,887 302,121 1 9,102 31,934 
			 May 2004 234,576 224,137 0 6,194 2,834 
			 June 2004 315,197 298,392 0 7,455 8,175 
			 July 2004 239,982 228,406 0 5,829 3,521 
			 August 2004 151,541 146,199 4 3,605 1,402 
			 September 2004 174,322 158,307 0 3,979 11,843 
			 October 2004 127,126 120,822 0 3,688 2,607 
			 November 2004 102,542 97,027 0 2,847 1,751 
			 December 2004 75,028 72,076 0 1,441 1,292 
			 January 2005 93,593 89,721 0 1,959 1,689 
			 February 2005 112,970 93,929 0 3,618 7,806 
			 March 2005 138,049 129,007 1 2,154 6,788 
			 April 2005 74,841 71,299 0 1,660 1,857 
			 May 2005 55,081 52,562 0 1,325 1,145 
			 June 2005 60,249 57,641 0 1,418 1,012 
			 July 2005 94,737 91,213 1 1,614 1,831 
			 August 2005 92,868 88,183 0 1,629 2,912 
			 September 05 107,418 102,101 0 1,901 3,590 
			 Total April 2003 to September 2005 5,793,160 5,410,095 64 170,033 161,861 
		
	
	Note:
	Some clients abandon their call during the PCAL recorded welcome message. These calls are not available to agents to answer, and therefore in terms of PCAL performance against targets, calls abandoned during the recorded message are not included in the abandoned calls calculation. This can result in calls answered and abandoned not totalling calls offered.

Widow's Benefit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will compensate fathers who were widowed before 9 April 2001 following the European Court of Human Rights ruling on widows' benefits.

James Plaskitt: The Government will consider the offer of friendly settlements on claims for discrimination relating to widowed mothers' allowance and widow's payment, but only to those widowers who have an admissible case in the European Court of Human Rights and who satisfy the benefit conditions and made their original claim at the correct time. Widowers who were unsuccessful in the recent cases before the House of Lords could have taken their case to Europe provided they had done so by 4 November 2005 (six months from the House of Lords ruling). We will go on to consider these cases also.
	Any claims for widows payment or widowed mothers allowance by a man whose wife died before 9 April 2001 and who has not previously made an application to the European Court or was not involved with the domestic cases will now be too late. We have been guided by previous admissibility decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in widowers' cases.

Winter Fuel Payments

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people over 80 years of age have received winter fuel payments in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency, (b) Norfolk, (c) the eastern region and (d) England and Wales since their inception;
	(2)  how many people have received winter fuel payments in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency, (b) Norfolk, (c) the eastern region and (d) England and Wales since their inception.

Stephen Timms: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 199798 and 199899 is not available. The information from winter 19992000 is in the following table. Figures are only available from 200203 for payments made to those aged 80 or over. These figures are also available in the Library.
	
		
			 Parliamentary constituency/region Winter fuel payments made Payments made to those aged 80 or over 
		
		
			 Great Yarmouth   
			 19992000 19,015 n/a 
			 200001 20,980 n/a 
			 200102 21,330 n/a 
			 200203 21,745 4,520 
			 200304 22,220 4,680 
			 200405 29,925 4,535 
			
			 Norfolk local authority   
			 19992000 171,480 n/a 
			 200001 190,005 n/a 
			 200102 192,850 n/a 
			 200203 196,335 41,385 
			 200304 199,610 42,735 
			 200405 199,005 42,125 
			 East of England   
			 19992000 971,115 n/a 
			
			 Government office region   
			 200001 1,075,650 n/a 
			 200102 1,090,720 n/a 
			 200203 1,110,685 229,390 
			 200304 1,128,190 235,970 
			 200405 1,128,650 233,955 
			
			 England   
			 19992000 8,631,865 n/a 
			 200001 9,505,370 n/a 
			 200102 9,585,755 n/a 
			 200203 9,709,935 1,978,030 
			 200304 9,813,095 2,021,450 
			 200405 9,761,975 2,002,210 
			
			 Wales   
			 19992000 553,920 n/a 
			 200001 613,540 n/a 
			 200102 619,720 n/a 
			 200203 629,025 126,100 
			 200304 636,255 129,195 
			 200405 631,315 127,935 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	3. Local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample

HEALTH

British Standard 7799

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what mechanisms she plans to put in place to ensure that private sector organisations treating NHS patients are British Standard 7799 compliant; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans she has to change local self-assessment for British Standard 7799 NHS compliance; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what representations she has received from the British Standards Institute regarding (a) NHS compliance and (b) processes to audit NHS compliance with British Standard 7799; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what the cost was of developing the Information Governance Toolkit;
	(5)  what steps she is taking to increase the number of NHS trusts in receipt of British Standard 7799 certificates; and if she will make a statement;
	(6)  how many NHS trusts have been issued with a British Standard 7799 certificate; and if she will make a statement;
	(7)  what steps she takes to ensure that electronic patient records are maintained in a manner compliant with British Standard 7799; and if she will make a statement;
	(8)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure NHS trust compliance with British Standard 7799; whether these are (a) independent and (b) auditable; and if she will make a statement;
	(9)  what assessment she has made of the compliance of each NHS trust with British Standard 7799; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The BS7799 part 1, recently updated and now known as ISO/IEC 17799, provides the foundation for the best practice security management of the national health service's information assets. Central arrangements have already been established that enable all NHS organisations to obtain a full reference copy of the standard for their own use. In addition, key requirements of the ISO/IEC17799 are included within the existing NHS Information Governance Framework, along with relevant topic guidance and illustrations. These are available to NHS organisations through the centrally provided and maintained NHS Information Governance Toolkit service.
	The NHS Information Governance Toolkit supports NHS organisations to meet information security requirements but also numerous other closely associated requirements including best practice in terms of records management, information quality, data protection and the confidential management of records. Bringing these requirements together in this way has eliminated considerable duplication of effort as each of these aspects of information governance are based on similar principles and working practices but in the past they were addressed separately. The Information Governance Toolkit is provided free of charge to NHS organisations and replaced a range of existing data collections and has generated significant savings in staff time and resources across a wide range of NHS organisations.
	Compliance assessment of NHS information security management, is based upon the ISO/IEC 17799 framework and is currently achieved on an annual basis through self-assessed organisational attainment reporting within the NHS Information Governance Toolkit. A review of these arrangements is currently under way and that will further refine and extend assurance criterion. These new arrangements should also in future form a significant part of formal NHS audit programmes at both local and national level.
	In addition to contractual obligations, it is also intended that equivalent information governance assurance reporting arrangements will shortly be developed and implemented for a range of non-NHS information partner organisations, including those private sector organisations treating NHS patients. These requirements already exist for commercial service provider organisations involved in the delivery of the NHS National Programme for Information Technology and whose security management performance is routinely monitored against the ISO/IEC 17799.
	Although there is no current requirement for NHS organisations to seek or maintain a formal BS7799 part 2:2002 registration, NHS organisations are able to do so as a local decision. This part 2 of the original BS7799 standard has recently been replaced and is now known internationally as ISO/IEC 27001:2005. The Information Governance toolkit was developed, in part, to provide a cost effective alternative to individual NHS organisations requiring assistance from independent qualified lead accreditation consultants at commercial rates. As formal registration is not an NHS requirement, there are no central records of NHS organisations that may already have chosen to formally register or that may be considering doing so.
	On 18 October 2005, a departmental official met with two representatives of the British Standards Institute to outline and discuss the NHS approach to BS7799. The British Standards Institute are therefore now fully aware of the significant steps taken by the Department to both adopt and promote the values of this standard to NHS organisations and relevant others.

Cataract Operations

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cataract operations have been purchased in the private sector (a) in 200405 and (b) for the current year.

Liam Byrne: Between October 2003 and September 2005, 14,886 cataract procedures were carried out on national health service patients through the centrally-procured independent sector treatment centre programme. It is estimated that almost a further 12,000 cataract procedures will be completed by September 2006. The volume of commissioning of independent sector services contracted locally by the NHS is not collected centrally.

Cheshire and Merseyside SHA

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much brokerage was allocated to each hospital in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area in 200405.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is provided in the table.
	Cash brokerage is managed by strategic health authorities (SHAs), so it is not possible to confirm how much brokerage has been allocated in 200405 to each national health service trust in Cheshire and Merseyside SHA.
	In 200405, some organisations have received planned support. The table shows how much planned support was given to each NHS trust in Cheshire and Merseyside SHA.
	
		
			 Financial support for Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Trusts 200405 Planned financial support (000) 
		
		
			 Mersey Regional Ambulance Service Trust 0 
			 Wirral Hospital NHS Trust 5,400 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 12,000 
			 The Cardiothoracic CentreLiverpool NHS Trust 0 
			 Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust 0 
			 The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 2,100 
			 Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 3,200 
			 Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology Trust 0 
			 Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 0 
			 Walton Neurology Centre NHS Trust 0 
			 East Cheshire NHS Trust 6,000 
			 Royal Liverpool Broadgreen University Hospital Trust 2,643 
			 Five Borough Partnership NHS Trust 1,153 
			 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 9,372 
			 Mersey Care NHS Trust 0 
			 North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 7,931 
			 Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust 0 
			 Total Support funding 49,799 
		
	
	Source:
	200405 audited summarisation schedules

Community Health Care

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses to Your Health Your Care Your Say have been received from (a) health professionals, (b) organisations and (c) members of the public; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Of 1,252 people who participated in the regional and national Your Health, Your Care, Your Say deliberative events, 133 people said they were health or social care staff. By Monday, 31 October, 19,183 completed questionnaires had been returned, including 9,654 responses from people who indicated that they worked in health or social care. In addition, more than 2,000 responses have been received from readers of Take-a-Break magazine and national health service publications, Prime and Fit. The questions published in these magazines were a subset of the full set of questions, designed specifically for these publications and did not ask people about their employment.
	We do not yet have figures from the local or devolved listening events. The process is designed to consult the public on what they want from community health and social care services. We are engaging with health and social care organisations in other ways, but mainly through five policy taskforces, which are making recommendations on the policy options that fit with the public views.

Community Health Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1187W, on Your Health, Your Care, Your Say, how many people were selected to take part in each event.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Your Health, Your Care, Your Say consultation
		
			  Number of people: 
			 Event Selected Who attended 
		
		
			 Gateshead 110 89 
			 Leicester 65 60 
			 London 65 51 
			 Plymouth 60 54 
			 Birmingham 1,200 998

Electronic Patient Records

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects all patient records to be electronic.

Liam Byrne: Demographic data is already held electronically for most patients, most already have an electronic primary care record and many hospitals also hold information electronically. However, these tend to be restricted to the general practice or hospital in which the record is created. The number of electronic records, linked to the NHS Care Records Service will continue to increase as health professionals find that linked electronic records improve patient care. The national programme for IT in the national health service aims to deliver the NHS Care Records Service by 2010.

General Medical Services Contract

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average remuneration of (a) general practitioners and (b) consultants was in 1997; and what she estimates it will be following the introduction of the new contracts.

Liam Byrne: Figures for general practitioners (GPs) based on information for Great Britain are shown in the table.
	
		Remuneration of GPs , 199798 and 200304
		
			  Intended average net remuneration/income () 
		
		
			 199798 46,031 
			 200304 67,040 
		
	
	Information for consultants is shown in the table.
	The new consultant contract was introduced in October 2003.
	
		Estimated average basic salary and annual equivalent total earnings for consultants in England 1998 to 2004
		
			  
			 Annual estimated average payments(18) Annualised average basic salary Annualised average total earnings 
		
		
			 1998 59,500 65,600 
			 1999(19) 63,000 69,700 
			 2000 65,100 71,700 
			 2001(19) 67,500 74,700 
			 2002 71,000 83,700 
			 2003(19) 73,300 86,400 
			 2004 74,800 89,500 
			 2004 (new contracts only(20)) 74,800 100,900 
		
	
	(18) Information on basic pay, allowances and other payments is calculated to provide average basic salary and average total earnings (amount paid, including allowances, overtime, etc.).
	(19) There was no survey in these years so earnings have been estimated from previous years' figures.
	(20) Around 77 per cent. of consultants had moved away to the new contract by October 2004.
	Note:
	The NHS Earnings Survey is based on a sample of payroll data from approximately 50 per cent. of NHS trusts, thus calculated figures are estimates based on best available data.
	Source:
	Department of Health's August NHS staff Earnings Survey (1998 to 2003) and Health and Social Care Information Earnings survey.

Healthcare Costs

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average daily cost is of (a) an intensive care and (b) a high dependency bed.

Liam Byrne: The national average cost of an occupied bed day in a discrete critical care unit is available in the annual reference costs publication, which is available in the Library.
	The national schedule of reference costs for 2004, the latest year available, shows activity undertaken within a national health service trust in England, the costs of an occupied bed day in different types of discrete critical care units, which is shown in the following table.
	
		National schedule of reference costs 2004
		
			  
			 Unit type National average cost per occupied bed day 
		
		
			 Intensive therapy unit/Intensive care unit 1,328 
			 Burns intensive care unit 1,039 
			 Neurosurgical intensive care unit 1,017 
			 Spinal injuries intensive care unit 779 
			 Renal intensive care unit 370 
			 Cardiac intensive care unit 1,025 
			 High dependency unit 584 
			 Paediatric intensive care unit 1,702 
			 Neonatal intensive care unitlevel one 838 
			 Neonatal intensive care unitlevel two 560

Healthcare Professionals Recruitment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many healthcare professionals from developing countries have been recruited by the NHS from private hospitals in England in each year since 2001 for which records are available, broken down by country of origin.

Liam Byrne: This information is not held centrally.

Healthcare Professionals Recruitment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many healthcare recruitment agencies operating (a) from the UK and (b) from outside the UK are registered to comply with the Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals.

Liam Byrne: NHS Employers is responsible for monitoring the Code of Practice and maintaining the register of agencies.
	NHS Employers reports that there are 225 agencies operating from the United Kingdom (UK) and 40 from outside the UK registered to comply with the Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals.

Healthcare Professionals Recruitment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many healthcare recruitment agencies that (a) have and (b) have not registered with the Code of Practice for the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals have been used by the NHS since December 2004; and on how many occasions in each case.

Liam Byrne: This information is not collected centrally. NHS Employers are responsible for monitoring the Code of Practice and maintaining the register of agencies. The Code of Practice was revised by the Department in December 2004.
	The guidance on the Code of Practice makes it clear that the national health service should not be contracting with agencies not listed under the Code of Practice.

Healthcare Professionals Recruitment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how her Department monitors the activities of healthcare recruitment agencies that have registered under the Code of Practice of the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals.

Liam Byrne: Monitoring compliance with the Code of Practice is now the responsibility of NHS Employers, the organisation which represents employers in the national health service. NHS Employers works closely with strategic health authorities and trusts to ensure that the NHS abides by the code.

Healthcare Professionals Recruitment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what breaches her Department has found of the code of practice for the International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals; and what proportion of agencies registered have been investigated for breaches.

Liam Byrne: This information is not collected centrally. NHS Employers is responsible for monitoring the code of practice and maintaining the register of agencies.

Hospital Waiting Times

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time in hospitals in (a) South Tyneside, (b) the North East and (c) England has been in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The median waiting times for in-patient admission at South Tyneside Healthcare National Health Service Trust, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Special Health Authority and England are shown in the table.
	
		Estimated average time patients have been waiting for elective admission, March 1997 to June 2005provider based
		
			  Median waiting time (weeks) 
			  March 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust 15.6 16.4 14.9 12.4 10.5 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 11.9 12.3 11.9 11.2 11.1 
			 England 13.2 14.8 12.8 12.9 12.6 
		
	
	
		
			  March June 
			  2002 2003 2004 2005 2005 
		
		
			 South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust 9.5 8.7 8.3 6.3 5.8 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA 11.8 10.8 9.6 7.5 7.1 
			 England 12.7 11.9 10.2 8.4 8.0 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH07

Infection Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many infection control nurses have been employed in the NHS in each of the last three years; and what the ratio of infection control nurses to beds has been in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

In-patient Beds

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has issued on the minimum safe number of in- -patient beds per head of population.

Liam Byrne: No specific guidance has been issued. The planning of health service capacity, including in-patient beds, is for strategic health authorities to lead locally, within the framework of the Department's guidance on capacity planning. The planning of in-patient beds needs to take account of services available from other parts of local health and social care systems, including primary, community, rehabilitative and long-term care.

Mental Health

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged five to 16 have a clinically diagnosed mental disorder in (a) Normanton constituency, (b) Wakefield East Primary Care Trust (PCT), (c) Wakefield West PCT, (d) Wakefield District and (e) West Yorkshire.

Liam Byrne: The table shows the number of children aged between five and 16 years with a primary psychiatric diagnosis (ICD-10 codes F00 to F99) 1 by gender and within the Eastern Wakefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Wakefield West PCTs and within the West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA), in the latest year that figures are available 2 .
	
		
			  Aged 5 to 16 years 
			  Male Female All patients 
		
		
			 West Yorkshire SHA 80 80 160 
			 Eastern Wakefield PCT 10 10 20 
			 Wakefield West PCT 10 10 10 
		
	
	(21) Diagnoses are taken from chapter V (Mental and Behavioural Disorders) of the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
	(22) Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data, that is, the data are ungrossed.
	Note:
	Disclosure rules apply due to the sensitive nature of the data; therefore, figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre

Mental Health

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to be in a position to publish the Mental Health Bill.

Rosie Winterton: The Mental Health Bill will be introduced when the legislative timetable permits.

Modernising Medical Careers

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she was first informed that NHS trusts would replace six-month contracts for senior house officers with year-long placements to fit with the Modernising Medical Careers initiative.

Liam Byrne: This decision was foreshadowed in a ministerial policy statement made by the four United Kingdom (UK) Health Ministers on 25 February 2003. The specific decision was taken at the meeting of the Modernising Medical Careers UK strategy group on 18 March 2005.

NHS Commissioning

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the rationale behind the decision to reduce the role of primary care trusts in direct provision of health services to a minimum; and on what evidence the decision was based.

Liam Byrne: No decisions on the future provision of community and primary healthcare services will be taken until after the White Paper on community healthcare services has been published. The White Paper will be informed by the results of the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say listening exercise currently underway. Clinical services will continue to be provided by primary care trusts (PCTs) unless and until those PCTs decide otherwise. These decisions would be driven locally, following our White Paper deliberations, and will only be implemented following full local public and staff consultation.
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) have recently submitted their proposals for the reconfiguration of PCTs, which set out how they intend to strengthen their commissioning function. These proposals will be assessed by an independent external panel drawn from and representing a wide range of stakeholder interests. The panel will determine whether the SHA proposals meet the criteria stipulated in Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS (July 2005). If the criteria are judged to have been met, the proposals will go forward to a three-month public consultation. No further decisions on the reorganisation of PCTs will be taken until this process has been completed.

NHS Commissioning

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she expects that some doctors, nurses and managers will reform their practices into limited companies and contract as private and not-for-profit companies for the provision of practice services following the implementation of her proposals on Commissioning in the NHS.

Liam Byrne: There is no expectation for practices to reform themselves into limited companies as a result of Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS. Changing the way that healthcare services currently provided by primary care trusts (PCTs) is a matter for them. A White Paper on social care and community healthcare services will be published at the turn of the year and this will be informed by the results of the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say public listening exercise currently under way. Any proposals on the future provision of PCT services will also be subject to full local and staff consultation in the usual way.

NHS Commissioning

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has given primary care trusts on the future of medical and allied services currently provided directly by them which would be provided by alternative providers following the implementation of her policy to turn primary care trusts into commissioning bodies.

Liam Byrne: No guidance has been issued to primary care trusts on the future provision of medical and allied healthcare services.

NHS Commissioning

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards she plans to put in place to ensure that an outsourced provider of the commissioning function of a primary care trust is not owned by an organisation that is also competing to provide services in the same area.

Liam Byrne: The Department has received proposals from all strategic health authorities setting out their proposals for the reconfiguration of primary care trusts (PCTs) in order to strengthen their commissioning function. The proposals will shortly be assessed by an external panel, representing a wide range of stakeholder interests, to determine whether they meet the criteria stipulated in July's Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS. Proposals that meet these criteria will then be subject to a full three-month public consultation. No further decisions on the reorganisation of PCTs will be taken until this process has been completed.

NHS Deficits

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued to NHS trusts with regard to (a) the recovery of historic deficits and (b) the management of deficit control totals.

Liam Byrne: National health service organisations are expected to achieve financial balance each and every year. It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities (SHAs) to performance manage the organisations in their area, and deliver overall financial balance for their local health communities. The Department has contacted all organisations with a deficit in 200405 to emphasise the importance of sound financial management and ensuring value for money of public expenditure. Through this and other mechanisms, the Department explained the key role of implementing the system reform programme, and other efficiency measures, in delivering better services for patients within the funding available. The Department recognises that SHAs carry forward deficits and surplus to future years which ensures that organisations do not benefit from having a deficit and are not disadvantaged by a heavy surplus.

NHS Drug Costs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total (a) gross and (b) net cost of drugs to the NHS has been in (i) nominal and (ii) real terms in each year since 1979; what the percentage increase was in each year to the next in real terms; and what proportion of this percentage increase has been due to drug price inflation in each year.

Liam Byrne: It is not possible to calculate drug price inflation. Drug prices can be affected by many factors; these include advances in drug therapy, new drugs substituting existing ones and price reduction due to generic competition. These factors can vary from year to year, from drug to drug, and vary in magnitude. This complexity prevents us from being able to calculate drug price inflation. The gross and net cost of drugs to the national health service in nominal terms, and percentage increase each year are shown in table 1.
	
		Table 1: NHS drugs spend in nominal termsEngland
		
			  Gross Net 
			  Outturn ( million) Percentage Outturn ( million) Percentage 
		
		
			 198788 1,899  1,888  
			 198889 2,137 12.6 2,124 12.5 
			 198990 2,365 10.7 2,356 10.9 
			 199091 2,552 7.9 2,540 7.8 
			 199192 2,926 14.7 2,908 14.5 
			 199293 3,294 12.6 3,284 12.9 
			 199394 3,689 12.0 3,661 11.5 
			 199495 4,016 8.9 3,994 9.1 
			 199596 4,379 9.0 4,372 9.5 
			 199697 4,769 8.9 4,735 8.3 
			 199798 5,195 8.9 5,173 9.3 
			 199899 5,567 7.2 5,550 7.3 
			 19992000 6,220 11.7 6,202 11.7 
			 200001 6,690  6,688  
			 200102 7,454 11.4 7,447 11.3 
			 200203 8,358 12.1 8,355 12.2 
			 200304 9,274 11.0 9,267 10.9 
		
	
	The gross and net cost of drugs to the NHS in real terms, and percentage increase each year are shown in table 2.
	
		Table 2: NHS drugs spend in real terms (200304 prices)England
		
			  Gross Net 
			  Outturn ( million) Percentage Outturn ( million) Percentage 
		
		
			 198788 3,369  3,350  
			 198889 3,544 5.2 3,523 5.1 
			 198990 3,662 3.3 3,648 3.6 
			 199091 3,664 0.1 3,647 0.0 
			 199192 3,962 8.1 3,938 8.0 
			 199293 4,323 9.1 4,310 9.5 
			 199394 4,722 9.2 4,685 8.7 
			 199495 5,062 7.2 5,034 7.4 
			 199596 5,369 6.1 5,360 6.5 
			 199697 5,647 5.2 5,607 4.6 
			 199798 5,975 5.8 5,950 6.1 
			 199899 6,242 4.5 6,222 4.6 
			 19992000 6,839 9.6 6,819 9.6 
			 200001 7,260  7,258  
			 200102 7,895 8.7 7,887 8.7 
			 200203 8,579 8.7 8,576 8.7 
			 200304 9,274 8.1 9,267 8.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Net figures include pharmaceutical price regulation scheme receipt savings.
	2. The total drugs spend include spend within the family health service and also the hospital and community health service.
	3. From 200001 figures are in resource terms, prior to this figures are in cash terms. Cash figures relate to February to January prescribing due to delay in prescription processing and payment calculations. Resource figures represent the actual cost between April to March.
	4. We do not have data prior to 1987.
	5. The gross domestic product deflator at September 2005 has been used to calculate spend in real terms at 200304 prices.
	Sources:
	Prescription Pricing Authority, England and Department of Health finance division.

NHS Finance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the deficit or surplus was at year end 200405 for (a) the NHS in England, (b) each strategic health authority, (c) each NHS trust and (d) each primary care trust.

Liam Byrne: The audited accounts show that the national health service as a whole will end 200405 with an overall deficit of around 250 million. This represents around 0.4 per cent. of overall NHS resources.
	The 200405 audited financial position of all NHS organisations (strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts) is available on the Department's website. A copy of this information has been placed in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en.

NHS Finance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cumulative deficit is for each strategic health authority.

Liam Byrne: The cumulative deficit for strategic health authorities (SHAs) is the deficit that was incurred in the previous year.
	The latest available data on the financial position of all SHAs is based on the 200405 audited accounts which is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/94/12/04119412.pdf.

NHS Finance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library copies of the month five financial forecasts submitted to her Department by each strategic health authority.

Liam Byrne: The latest available audited data on the financial position of national health service trusts is for 200405. The 200405 financial position of strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts is available in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en

NHS Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the letter dated 23 September sent by the chief executive of the NHS to NHS organisations in deficit in 200405, which (a) NHS bodies and (b) centrally financed budgets were required to underspend in 200405; and if she will list the NHS organisations to which this letter was sent.

Liam Byrne: The 200405 audited financial position of strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and national health service trusts is available in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en.
	This information shows those NHS organisations that ended 200405 with an underspend and those NHS organisations that reported an overspend.
	The letter sent by the NHS chief executive to NHS organisations on financial management went to all NHS bodies that reported an overspend in 200405.
	The overall central programme was managed to achieve the appropriate underspend rather than issue detailed underspend figures to departmental budget managers.

NHS Finance

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS bodies are insolvent.

Liam Byrne: No NHS organisations are insolvent. All national health service organisations have sufficient funding to pay their bills within a reasonable time.

NHS Pay Review

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what appeal mechanism is in place for NHS staff in relation to their banding in the NHS Agenda for Change pay review; and which primary care trusts do not have such mechanisms in place.

Liam Byrne: Within the Agenda for Change agreement, there are provisions for staff to request reviews of the payband to which they have been band matched. As the request for a review is to their employer, each national health service employer will need to have put the mechanisms in place.

NHS Trust Deficits

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of NHS trust deficits on the number of nurses employed by them.

Liam Byrne: It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities (SHAs) to deliver both overall financial balance for their local health communities and to ensure each and every body achieves financial balance. Organisations need to continue to look at the way they provide services to ensure they are delivering the best possible value for money.
	The number of nurses in the national health service in England has grown by 25 per cent. or nearly 80,000 between September 1997 and 2004. Any changes in local circumstances need to be seen in that context.

NHS Trust Deficits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of NHS trusts which will end the current financial year in deficit.

Liam Byrne: The number of national health service trusts that ended the financial year 200405 in deficit was 66. It is too early to say what the position will be in 200506.

Out-patient Appointments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of NHS patients booking out-patient appointments have done so through the choose and book system in 2005; and how many such bookings included full integration of service with a GP referral letter.

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many referrals to secondary care there were in the NHS in England in 2005; how many and what percentage were made under choose and book; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Approximately 20,000 general practitioner (GP) outpatient appointments or referrals have been made so far in 2005. The volume of bookings is increasing rapidly. choose and book new bookings are currently over 3,400 per week. This equates to around 2 per cent. of GP referrals per week.
	Information on how many such bookings included full integration of service with a GP referral letter is not separately identified.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her estimate is of the savings to the Exchequer of introducing a pension scheme retirement age of 65 years for all NHS staff and employees of her Department and its agencies from 2025; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Delaying to 2025 the introduction of a normal pension age (NPA) of 65 for members of the national health service, teachers' or civil service would not reflect Government policy or be consistent with the principles agreed at the public services forum. Those principles provide for NPA 65 to be introduced for new entrants as soon as practicable, and for the pension terms of existing members to be discussed in scheme specific negotiations. The estimated net present value of the savings arising from reform of the public service schemes generally is expected to be around 13 billion over the next 50 years.
	Savings to the Exchequer from introducing NPA 65 from 2025 have not been estimated and could be done only at disproportionate cost. It is, however, likely that delaying the introduction of NPA 65 until 2025 for the NHS, teachers' or civil service pension schemes would absorb a substantial part of the expected 13 billion savings that will arise from the immediate implementation of scheme reform within the framework of the principles agreed at the public services forum.

Physiotherapy

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many physiotherapists are practising in the public sector; and how many of these (a) hold a degree in physiotherapy, (b) hold a degree in a related medical field and (c) hold a degree in another field.

Liam Byrne: At September 2004, the number of qualified physiotherapists employed in the national health service was 19,139, which is an increase of 34 per cent. since 1997. Information is not collected centrally on the specific qualifications of NHS staff, nor on the number of physiotherapists employed elsewhere in the public sector.
	Primary care trusts commission physiotherapy services from a range of providers on behalf of their local communities.

Primary Care Trusts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list primary care trusts which have an unaddressed financial risk of over 1 million pounds.

Liam Byrne: We have interpreted the issue of unaddressed financial risk to mean those primary care trusts (PCTs) that overspent in 200405 by 1 million pounds or more. This is shown in the table.
	The latest data available on the financial position of national health service organisations (strategic health authorities, PCTs and NHS trusts) are for 200405. This information was made available on the Department's publications website on 19 September 2005.
	
		PCTs that have overspent by 1 million or more in 200405
		
			 000 
			 PCT name Final surplus/(deficits) 
		
		
			 Kensington and Chelsea -17,976 
			 Bedfordshire Heartlands -14,536 
			 Hillingdon -13,470 
			 Suffolk West -12,510 
			 Kennet and North Wiltshire -10,159 
			 Ipswich -10,119 
			 New Forest -8,592 
			 Wandsworth -8,237 
			 Cambridge City -7,621 
			 Southern Norfolk -7,152 
			 Chelmsford -7,144 
			 North Stoke -6,810 
			 Fareham and Gosport -6,757 
			 North and East Cornwall -6,668 
			 Selby and York -6,598 
			 Suffolk Coastal -6,174 
			 Hounslow -6,171 
			 Yorkshire Wolds and Coast -6,116 
			 Luton -6,038 
			 Guildford and Waverley -5,887 
			 West of Cornwall -5,669 
			 Central Cornwall -5,294 
			 North Norfolk -5,294 
			 North Devon -5,263 
			 North Somerset -5,202 
			 East Hampshire -5,199 
			 South West Oxfordshire -5,172 
			 Vale of Aylesbury -4,916 
			 Hertsmere -4,897 
			 Milton Keynes -4,860 
			 Dacorum -4,840 
			 Cotswold and Vale -4,809 
			 East Lincolnshire -4,483 
			 Broadland -4,444 
			 Cherwell Vale -4,404 
			 North Hertfordshire and Stevenage -3,860 
			 Central Suffolk -3,837 
			 South Western Staffordshire -3,750 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands -3,725 
			 Maidstone Weald -3,714 
			 Havering -3,258 
			 Witham, Braintree and Halstead Care Trust -3,141 
			 West Gloucestershire -3,110 
			 West Wiltshire -2,803 
			 Bexley Care Trust -2,749 
			 Blackwater Valley and Hart -2,676 
			 South Cambridgeshire -2,583 
			 East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey -2,563 
			 Waltham Forest -2,538 
			 South and East Dorset -2,424 
			 Canterbury and Coastal -2,276 
			 Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth -2,111 
			 Wyre Forest -1,968 
			 North East Oxfordshire -1,938 
			 Watford and Three Rivers -1,928 
			 Kingston -1,853 
			 Sussex Downs and Weald -1,819 
			 South Stoke -1,719 
			 South Wiltshire -1,535 
			 Waveney -1,533 
			 St Albans and Harpenden -1,526 
			 Huntingdonshire -1,516 
			 Chiltern and South Buckinghamshire -1,494 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford -1,489 
			 West Norfolk -1,482 
			 Colchester -1,470 
			 North Birmingham -1,339 
			 Eastleigh and Test Valley South -1,283 
			 Cannock Chase -1,235 
			 Charnwood and North West Leicestershire -1,200 
			 Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford -1,123 
			 Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley -1,086 
		
	
	Note:
	200405 data must be treated as provisional until signed off by National Audit Officer/Chief Executive.
	Source:
	Audited summarisation schedules 200405.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which providers each primary care trust has commissioned under the requirement to offer a choice of at least four secondary care providers to patients by 1 January 2006 in each of the top 15 specialties.

Liam Byrne: The information requested can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department is putting in place a programme of support to help patients exercise choice of hospital, which includes the development of a patient information leaflet tailored to each primary care trust (PCT) The leaflet will show patients the choices available to them locally as commissioned by their PCT.

Radiotherapy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients will be allowed to book appointments for radiotherapy through the infrastructure of the National Programme for IT.

Liam Byrne: The choose and book system currently covers referrals from primary care to the first consultant out-patient appointment. Radiotherapy appointments are typically booked after detailed consultations between clinicians and this means they fall within secondary or tertiary care. Therefore, radiotherapy appointments are outside of the current scope of the choose and book service.

Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) historic and (b) in-year debt is of Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.

Liam Byrne: The cumulative deficit for the Southport and Ormskirk national health service trust in 200405 was 1,179,000. The in-year deficit for the trust during the same period was 1,189,000.
	Notes:
	1. It is assumed that historic debt means the cumulative deficit position of the NHS Trust.
	2. It is assumed that in-year debt means the deficit incurred in the 200405 financial year.

Waiting Lists/Times

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long the central collection of statistics on waiting times for (a) CT scans, (b) MRI scans and (c) other imaging and diagnostic tests takes, including the production of reports; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Data on waiting times for diagnostic tests and procedures are not currently collected centrally.
	However, to support delivery of the 18-week patient pathway, the Department, working with the national health service, has developed a commissioner-based diagnostics waiting times data collection, which will be introduced in January 2006. This will look at waiting times for a number of diagnostic tests and procedures, including magnetic resonance imaging and computerised tomography.
	During the piloting phase, pilot sites were submitting diagnostics data on the 15th working day after the month end. It is anticipated that we will follow a similar timetable for national roll-out of the diagnostics data collection.

Waiting Lists/Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what interim waiting time targets have been put in place in order to progress towards the 18-week waiting time target by 2008.

Liam Byrne: No formal interim targets have been set for the national health service. The Department has agreed a framework of milestones with strategic health authorities to help them assess the robustness of local delivery plans and monitor progress against them. Further information on the 18-week target can be found at www.18weeks.nhs.uk. The Department is currently consulting on the rules and definitions to underpin the implementation of the 18 week target, and the responses may also influence how we choose to measure progress in future.

West Yorkshire Health Services

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the merits of contestability in the provision of health services in West Yorkshire.

Liam Byrne: The decision to include West Yorkshire in wave two elective independent sector procurement has been made on the basis of local capacity planning and the need to increase patient choice.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Azerbaijan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he plans to have with the Government of Azerbaijan regarding (a) good governance, (b) democratic values and (c) tackling corruption.

Douglas Alexander: These issues are often raised by our ambassador to Baku in his dialogue with the Azerbaijan Government and will be raised again, on instruction, in the aftermath of this election. They are also due to be discussed at the EU-Azerbaijan Co-operation Council on 12 December. The EU is developing an action plan with Azerbaijan as part of its European Neighbourhood Policy. The action plan aims to establish a set of shared common values in exchange for a deeper relationship with the EU. Strengthening democracy, strengthening the protection of human rights and of fundamental freedoms and the rule of law and strengthening the fight against corruption are all areas identified as priorities in the action plan.

Azerbaijan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the recent elections in Azerbaijan were (a) free and (b) fair.

Douglas Alexander: The Government accept the assessment of the International Election Observation Mission led by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Their preliminary findings were released on 7 November. These found that the Azerbaijan parliamentary elections did not meet a number of OSCE and Council of Europe standards and commitments for democratic elections, suggesting that the elections were not free or fair. The UK, holding the presidency of the European Union, issued a statement on 7 November in response to the preliminary findings. This can be found on the presidency website at www.eu2005.gov.uk.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Mr Richard Horsey, the British employee of the International Labour Organisation, who has left Burma after receiving death threats.

Ian Pearson: Our Embassy in Rangoon is in regular contact with Mr Richard Horsey. We understand from him that he has left Burma temporarily for reasons unconnected with the death threats he has received.
	We are very concerned about reports that Burma has recently indicated its intention to withdraw from the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Our Ambassador in Rangoon called on the Burmese Ministers for Labour and Foreign Affairs on 31 October and, on behalf of the EU, expressed our concern over these reports and over the death threat campaign. She urged the Burmese authorities to continue to co-operate with the ILO to eliminate forced labour and raised individual cases of harassment of those complaining of forced labour.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made (a) of the announcement by Burma's military junta that it has begun to move ministries to Pyinmana and (b) its implications for civilians in the Shan, Chin and Karen states;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the Burmese Government's move to Pyinmana upon the local population;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likelihood of forced labour being used to construct the Burmese Government's development in Pyinmana;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the implications of the decision by Burma's military junta to relocate to Pyinmana for the upholding of human rights in the region.

Ian Pearson: Diplomatic Missions in Rangoon were formally notified of the Burmese authorities' decision to relocate the seat of administration to Pyinmana on 7 November. The State Peace and Development Council claims that moving to a more central location will enable the government to carry out the development of the whole nation more effectively.
	It is too early to assess the full impact of the move on human rights or on populations locally or in the ethnic areas. We are aware of reports of forced relocations of villages in the construction area. It appears that in most cases some compensation was paid for land that was requisitioned, although not at full market rate.
	We are also aware of press reports of the use of forced labour during the construction. Forced labour has been used in the past for large scale infrastructure projects. Our position on forced labour is well known.

China

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) occasions and (b) dates when he has raised human rights in (i) Tibet and (ii) China with members of the Chinese Government in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Reports for 2004 and 2005 list ministerial engagements, including those of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, on human rights in China, including Tibet. The reports can be found at: www.fco.gov.uk/humanrightsreport2004 and http://www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/HumanRights2005.pdf. My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing, also discussed Tibet-related issues at their meetings in New York on 19 September 2005 and in London on 8 November 2005.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the meeting between the Chinese Government and representatives of the Dalai Lama in Berne on 1st July.

Ian Pearson: The European Union, under the UK Presidency, issued a statement welcoming the talks between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama's representatives which took place in Berne on 30 June to1 July. We hope the talks will bring about serious negotiations, without pre-conditions, which will lead to a peaceful, sustainable and legitimate solution for Tibet.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives the UK Government plans to take to advance the dialogue between the Chinese government and representatives of the Dalai Lama when China's President Hu Jintao visits the UK in November.

Ian Pearson: The Government's views on the Chinese role in Tibet and what needs to be done to improve the situation there is a matter of public record. We have encouraged the Chinese Government to enter into meaningful dialogue without pre-conditions with the Dalai Lama or his representatives in order to achieve a peaceful, sustainable and legitimate solution.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will develop a set of criteria that will allow him to evaluate the progress of formal contact between China and the Tibetan Government in exile.

Ian Pearson: We regularly ask both Chinese and Tibetan interlocutors about their engagement and contact. We are able to judge the progress or lack of it from the information received during such exchanges. We have no plans to develop further criteria by which to evaluate progress.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government have asked China (a) by what criteria it assesses the progress of formal contact with the Dalai Lama's representatives and (b) how China decides when future meetings between the two sides will take place.

Ian Pearson: The Government regularly urges China into meaningful dialogue without pre-conditions with the Dalai Lama or his representatives. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials did so most recently at a meeting with Assistant Foreign Minister Shen Guofang on 25 October. We regularly inquire when the next round of talks will take place.

China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current status is of the EU/China arms embargo; what the policy of the UK Government is on proposals to lift the embargo; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The European Union arms embargo on China has been under review since the decision by the European Council in December 2003 to launch a review. The December 2004 European Council set out Conclusions on the embargo and recalled these in June 2005. Pending any decision on lift, the Government continues to fully implement the embargo.

Colombia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Colombia about (a) tackling paramilitary forces and (b) ensuring that there is justice for the victims of violence.

Douglas Alexander: We have regular discussions with the Government of Colombia about the peace process. These discussions, which cover issues of truth, justice and reparation for victims of the internal armed conflict, are carried out between our Embassy in Bogota and the Government of Colombia. They are also covered during high level visits in both directions. For example, when President Uribe and Foreign Minister Barco were in the UK in July, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) raised these important matters.
	We support the efforts of the Government of President Uribe to bring an end to Colombia's inter-connected problems of internal armed conflict, illegal drugs trade and human rights abuses. We strongly believe that the only answer to these problems lies through a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Iran

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests the UK Government have made to Iran for the repatriation of Royal Navy equipment seized in the Shatt-Al-Arab; and how many responses it has had from the Iranian Government.

Kim Howells: We have pressed the Iranian authorities on numerous occasions, at both ministerial and senior official level, in Tehran and London, to return the boats and equipment they have detained since June 2004. Our discussions are ongoing.

Iran

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the decision by the Government of Iran to replace diplomats regarded as being too liberal.

Kim Howells: Media reports suggest that Iran's new Government may be making a number of changes to Iran's Ambassadors overseas. Such appointments are a matter for Iran.

Iran

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he proposes should be taken if Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

Kim Howells: Iran's nuclear programme continues to be of serious concern. The EU has called on Iran to address the requests made in successive resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, including by reinstating a full suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. We have also urged Iran to return to talks with the E3/EU on the basis of the Paris Agreement. At its last meeting, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution finding Iran to have been in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations under the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty. We have made clear to Iran that it can, by the actions it now decides to take, influence the timing and nature of the IAEA's report of this non-compliance to the United Nations Security Council. We will be consulting closely with major partners ahead of the next meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, which begins on 24 November.

Iraq

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received of Iranian involvement in supplying bomb technology used to attack British troop convoys in Iraq.

Kim Howells: As a matter of routine, we examine weapons used against British Forces with a view to determine their origins. The nature of certain explosive devices used suggests a connection to elements linked to Iran or Lebanese Hizballah, which has close links to elements in Iran. We are withholding details on the grounds that to release it would prejudice the capability, effectiveness, and security of the armed forces.

Iraq

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the possible involvement of Iran in bomb attacks on British troops in Iraq was revealed to the media by an official.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said the nature of certain explosive devices used against British and other troops suggests a connection to elements linked to Iran or Lebanese Hizballah, which has close links to elements in Iran. We have pressed Iran on many occasions to improve border security, fight terrorism and not to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs. The official was responding to media questions as part of a routine background briefing on Iraq.

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the IT projects costing over 1 million in use in his Department and introduced since 1997 have been scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee; and if he will list them.

Jack Straw: Only one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's IT projects has been scrutinised by the Public accounts committee since 1997. That project was Focus, which was scrutinised in April/May 2003 following cancellation of the Programme.

IT Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many IT projects which cost over 1 million and were introduced since 1997 are in use in his Department.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has introduced 11 IT related programmes costing more than 1 million since 1997. In roughly chronological order: Firecrest, Minerva, the FCO Telecommunications Network, Prism, Focus, I-Con, I-Visas, the FCO website, Knowledge, Future Firecrest and the High Classification Programme. Each programme is made up of smaller projects. Some of these projects will have associated costs of 1 million or more. To identify each project will require in-depth investigation and therefore could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since introduction, the deliverables of each programme are still in use by the FCO.

Ivory Coast

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) UN reports that the Ivory Coast has begun rebuilding its airforce and (b) the implications of these reports for the maintenance of the ceasefire.

Ian Pearson: The situation in Co(r)te d'Ivoire remains fragile and the Government are concerned at any report of activities by either the Co(r)te d'Ivoire Government or rebels which could re-ignite conflict. United Nations Security Council resolutions 1572 and 1584 imposed an arms embargo on all parties involved in the conflict, to be closely monitored by the UN. A group of experts has recently submitted a report to the Security Council on the present state of the embargo. We and other Security Council members are now carefully considering this report. We would view with the utmost concern evidence of the Government of Co(r)te d'Ivoire rebuilding their airforce, which would clearly contravene the embargo and threaten the fragile ceasefire. We also strongly support recent efforts by the UN, African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to move the peace process forward following the postponed elections of 30 October.

Kosovo

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo have been destroyed since KFOR's presence there; how many of the perpetrators have been (a) arrested and (b) convicted; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 14 November 2005
	Based on the information available to us, approximately 140 churches have been damaged or destroyed since 1999, 30 of them during the March 2004 violence. Charges have been pressed against 424 people following the March violence. Some of these relate to damage or destruction to churches. To date, 211 people have been convicted.
	Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Kosovo Provisional Institutions of Self Government (PISG) and the Serbian Orthodox Church, the PISG pledged 4.2 million to the reconstruction of Serbian Orthodox sites. In addition, the Kosovo Minister of Culture, Mr. Astrit Haraqija, pledged a further 1.5 million when he met the Serbian Minister of Culture, Mr. Dragan Kojadinovic, in Belgrade on 23 September 2005.
	The Reconstruction Commission has begun to operate; 34 sites have been identified to receive aid. The Commission has begun work on 11 sites, and hopes to begin work on a further 19 sites by the end of this year.

Overseas Pensioners

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place the matter of pensions that are frozen and not up-rated annually in line with inflation for British pensioners living in (a) Canada, (b) New Zealand, (c) Australia, (d) South Africa and (e) Zimbabwe on the agenda at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta.

Ian Pearson: The agenda for the Valletta Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was drawn up by Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon, in consultation with the Government of Malta and Commonwealth members. Malta's chosen keynote theme is Networking the Commonwealth for Development. Heads of Government will also discuss terrorism, tolerance and world trade.

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on funding for the African Union mission in Darfur.

Ian Pearson: We continue to work with international partners, including in our role as presidency of the EU, in support of the African Union's (AU) efforts to resolve the crisis in Darfur. The EU has recently given political approval to provide a further 70 million from the African Peace Facility to support the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), bringing the total EU contribution to AMIS to 162 million. My noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (Lord Triesman of Tottenham), also discussed the matter with the EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, during the EU Troika ministerial visit to Sudan in October. Funding for the AU mission was also discussed at a meeting for key international partners, including the European Commission and the Council Secretariat which we hosted in London on 1 November.

Tanzania

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the recent elections in Zanzibar were free and fair.

Ian Pearson: We welcome the third multi-party election on 30 October in Zanzibar.
	Representatives from the British High Commission followed the electoral process closely and we noted the broad assessment by international observer groups that the electoral process was a marked improvement on past polls, and that it was generally administered in an efficient manner.
	Nevertheless, there were instances, particularly on Unguja, where there were irregularities and a lack of transparency. A number of observer groups have called for a thorough investigation of these anomalies. The UK supports this call.

Uzbekistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how regularly the Uzbek authorities provide the British security services with intelligence information; what assessment he has made of whether information provided by those authorities has been obtained by torture; and if he will assess the effect of that information on the maintenance of British security.

Douglas Alexander: It is not the Government's policy to comment on intelligence matters.

Visas

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the UK overseas posts which have had an increase in the number of staff handling visa applications over the last 12 months; by how many the staff numbers have increased in each case; and how many staff there were handling visa applications in each such post in each of the last 10 years.

Kim Howells: The information is as follows.
	
		
			 Visa section UK based staff 200405 UK based 200506 Increase 
		
		
			 Baghdad 0 1 1 
			 Basra 0 1 1 
			 Chennai 10 11 1 
			 Colombo 6 7 1 
			 Dusseldorf 2 3 1 
			 Hong Kong 2 3 1 
			 Accra 22 24 2 
			 Amman 2 4 2 
			 Ankara 2 4 2 
			 Dhaka 17 19 2 
			 Guangzhou 5 7 2 
			 Bangkok 5 8 3 
			 Chongqing 2 5 3 
			 Manila 5 8 3 
			 Islamabad 54 59 5 
			 Lagos 30 43 13 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. UKvisas does not have data about staff numbers previous to financial year 200405.
	2. The above figures are based on the number of full time UK based entry clearance officers (ECOs) and entry clearance managers (ECMs) at each visa section. However, visa sections also rely on locally engaged staff and officers on temporary duty or short term duties to operate. Furthermore, some ECOs or ECMs also jointly hold other Foreign and Commonwealth Office positions and therefore entry clearance may only be a proportion of their work load.
	Source:
	UKvisas Staffing Schedules 200405 and 200506.

Visas

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the 20 UK overseas posts with the largest increase in visa applications over the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many visa applications each such post handled in each of the last 10 years.

Kim Howells: The information is as follows.
	
		
			 Post 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Karachi 28,342 27,873 26,678 28,063 30,286 32,450 
			 Ankara 3,760 4,396 4770 4,530 4,695 5,304 
			 Mexico City 720 870 1,107 1,228 1,339 1,636 
			 Lagos 35,750 42,797 42,648 44,129 55,319 62,123 
			 Lilongwe 291 297 337 374 456 437 
			 Rio de Janeiro 1,046 833 616 735 720 806 
			 Seoul 788 928 1,536 839 974 1,166 
			 Kuala Lumpur 5,225 3,878 3,893 2,655 2,956 2,645 
			 Tokyo 4,631 4,956 5,590 5,443 5,044 5,131 
			 Hong Kong 21,021 22,485 13,365 11,846 6,390 5,833 
			 Tirana206 1,703 2,071 
			 Abuja 5,830 6,641 7,930 11,487 16,782 21,602 
			 Tunis 7,856 7,804 7,374 7,507 7,310 7,809 
			 Victoria 224 203 198 192 268 282 
			 Tel Aviv 1,289 1,339 1,601 1,696 1,431 1,585 
			 Honiara 24 15 38 11 23 22 
			 Gaborone 455 639 671 790 820 946 
			 Phnom Penh 33 59 
			 Pt. Moresby 334 629 626 609 676 567 
			 Panama City 141 128 4 162 161 167 
		
	
	
		
			 Post 200102 200203 200304 200405 Percentage increase 200304 to 200405 
		
		
			 Karachi 36,539 11,757 1,802 21,305 1,082.3 
			 Ankara 3,801 4,890 6,546 16,934 158.7 
			 Mexico City 573 531 996 2,145 115.4 
			 Lagos 85,293 115,300 85,877 176,866 106.0 
			 Lilongwe 446 588 879 1,765 100.8 
			 Rio de Janeiro 712 923 1,696 3,386 99.6 
			 Seoul 1,151 1,859 5,199 10,180 95.8 
			 Kuala Lumpur 2,889 4,180 6,948 12,748 83.5 
			 Tokyo 5,361 5,422 9,672 17,449 80.4 
			 Hong Kong 5,306 5,480 7,957 13,958 75.4 
			 Tirana 2,891 3,672 5,933 10,397 75.2 
			 Abuja 23,155 28,945 35,274 60,736 72.2 
			 Tunis 7,110 4,880 5,195 8,926 71.8 
			 Victoria 254 174 207 347 67.6 
			 Tel Aviv 1,200 1,446 1,760 2,857 62.3 
			 Honiara 31 13 11 17 54.5 
			 Gaborone 1,226 1,391 1,529 2,353 53.9 
			 Phnom Penh   222 339 52.7 
			 Pt. Moresby 468 395 107 163 52.3 
			 Panama City 123 198 220 332 50.9 
		
	
	'' = posts not open.
	Notes:
	1. Prior to 200102 entry clearance statistics were published by calendar year, since 200102 statistics are published by financial year.
	2. UKvisas publishes annual entry clearance statistics for 200102 onwards, on its website, www.ukvisas.gov.uk. Copies are also placed in the Library of the House.
	Source:
	UKvisas' Published Entry Clearance Statistics.

Western Sahara

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to facilitate the self-determination of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: holding answer 14 November 2005
	The UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and his new Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Pete Van Walsum, to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK is in regular contact with representatives of the parties to the dispute and the UN. The UK will continue to encourage all parties to engage with the UN process.
	On 28 October, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 1634 which renewed the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. The Government supported this. There are, however, no plans for a UN referendum to be held in the near future.

Zanzibar

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of irregularities in the presidential elections in Zanzibar; what representations he has made to (a) the Zanzibar authorities and (b) the Tanzanian Government about such irregularities; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Representatives from the British High Commission followed the electoral process closely. It was the broad assessment of international observer groups that the electoral process was a marked improvement on past polls, and was generally administered in an efficient manner.
	Nevertheless, there were instances, particularly on Unguja, where there were irregularities and a lack of transparency. A number of observer groups have called for a thorough investigation of these anomalies. The UK and European Union support this call. We have conveyed these views to the Governments of Zanzibar and the United Republic of Tanzania.
	My hon. Friend the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (Chris Mullin), went to Zanzibar to observe the election as a Special Envoy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He met Chama Cha Mapinduzi Presidential candidate Kikwete on 1 November and discussed the importance of addressing the deeply polarised nature of Zanzibari politics.

Zanzibar

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account was taken of the validity of the election in the decision that the UK's High Commissioner to Zanzibar attend the recent inauguration of the President.

Jack Straw: The UK's High Commissioner attended the Zanzibar Presidential inauguration as European Union (EU) Presidency. EU missions followed the electoral process closely. In its statement of 1 November, the EU welcomed this third multi-party election and noted the broad assessment by international observer groups that the process was a marked improvement on past polls, and was generally administered in an efficient manner. The EU statement also made clear that there were instances of irregularities and lack of transparency, and that there should be a thorough investigation of these anomalies.

NORTHERN IRELAND

A and E Departments

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients were treated in the accident and emergency departments of hospitals in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		People who attended a hospital AE department inNorthern Ireland
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199495 639,925 
			 199596 672,811 
			 199697 654,288 
			 199798 664,549 
			 199899 663,046 
			 19992000 675,589 
			 200001 672,654 
			 200102 672,782 
			 200203 659,659 
			 200304 678,998 
			 200405 690,386 
		
	
	Source:
	Departmental Information Return KH09.

Abortions

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many abortions were carried out in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: There were 64 medical abortions recorded in Northern Ireland hospitals in the year 200405, the latest 12 month period for which data are available.

Abuse of the Elderly

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people aged 65 years or over in Northern Ireland reported that they had suffered abuse in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available.

Apprenticeships

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many trainees entered electrical installation modern apprenticeships in each year between 200102 and 200506, broken down by (a) training provider and location and (b) council district in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Since 1998 the Electrical Training Trust (ETT) is the training provider which has been contracted by the Department to manage all entrants to the electrical installation Jobskills Modern Apprenticeship programme. The following table sets out the number of young people who entered a Modern Apprenticeship in electrical engineering from 200102 to 200506. The Department does not have information by district council area.
	
		
			 Cohort Number 
		
		
			 200102 441 
			 200203 418 
			 200304 433 
			 200405 396 
			 200506(23) 330 
			 Total 2,018 
		
	
	(23) Figures for the 200506 cohort are enrolments up to 30 September 2005.

Civil Service (Religious Affiliation)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the breakdown of religious affiliation of senior management is in each Government Department in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Department Protestant Roman Catholic Not determined Total 
		
		
			 OFMDFM 19 8 1 28 
			 DARD 13 5 3 21 
			 DCAL6 
			 DE 6 9 0 15 
			 DEL9 
			 DETI9 
			 DOE 10 6 0 16 
			 DFP 21 17 2 40 
			 DHSSPS 18 10 6 34 
			 DRD22 
			 DSD 11 8 1 20 
			 NIO 18 6 1 25 
			 Other3 
			 Totals 149 79 20 248 
		
	
	The table includes all members of the Northern Ireland Senior Civil Service who work in the 11 Northern Ireland Departments, agencies and the Northern Ireland Office. In some cases it has not been possible to show the perceived religious affiliation of staff, due to the small numbers involved, in order to protect the confidentiality of the information held.
	It is the stated policy of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) that all eligible persons shall have equal opportunity for employment and advancement in the NICS on the basis of their ability, qualifications and aptitude for the work.
	Where analysis of monitoring information reveals a possible lack of fair participation by one or other community, the NICS takes lawful affirmative action measures by encouraging job applications from the under-represented community when advertising vacancies.

Contraception

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidelines his Department issues to (a) general practitioners and (b) others in Northern Ireland in relation to advising or informing the parents of children and young people for whom contraception is prescribed.

Shaun Woodward: Separate guidance has not been issued to health and social services personnel on this matter but it is covered by the Reference Guide to Consent for Examination, Treatment and Care issued by my Department in March 2003. This guidance states that where the child is competent to consent and the decision will have ongoing implications such as long-term use of contraception it is good practice to encourage the child to inform his or her parents unless it would clearly not be in the child's best interest to do so.

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department between the end of the 200304 session and the end of April 2005, broken down by Act.

David Hanson: No criminal offences were created by Acts in the period in question. For the sake of completeness however two offences were created by Northern Ireland Order in Council.
	Public Processions (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
	Article 4knowingly failing to comply with a condition imposed on a public protest
	Article 5knowingly taking part in a protest meeting which a person knows has been prohibited

Demographics

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the change in numbers of residents aged 85 years and over living in Northern Ireland has been since 1995.

Angela Smith: The following table gives the official estimate of the population of Northern Ireland of residents aged 85 years and over, at 30 June 1995 and 30 June 2004.
	
		Northern Ireland mid-year population residents aged 85 years and over, 1995 and 2004
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1995 21,700 
			 2004 24,000 
			 Difference 2,300

ELB Redundancies

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures are in place to ensure that all education and library boards are following the accountancy practices laid down for treatment of expenditure on redundancies.

Angela Smith: Education and library boards must prepare accounts in accordance with the accounts direction given by the Department of Education, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, in accordance with article 12 of the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 2003. Expenditure on redundancies is calculated by education and library boards in accordance with statutory requirements, contractual obligations, Northern Ireland Local Government Officer Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC) estimates of entitlements and costs, and the agreed five board scheme for premature retirement on the grounds of redundancy. Each education and library board's annual accounts are subject to audit by the Northern Ireland Audit Office to determine if they provide a true and fair view of the reported financial position including the expenditure recorded.

Energy Reduction

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans for energy reduction have been put in place in each Northern Ireland Department since 2003.

Angela Smith: Northern Ireland Departments have adopted the targets for improvements in energy performance contained in the 2003 Government White Paper Our energy futurecreating a low carbon economy. Departments are accommodated in buildings provided and managed by the Department of Finance and Personnel, which conducts a continuous programme of improvements of building energy performance in pursuit of the targets.
	Since 2003, within the office estate planned actions have included conducting surveys to identify and implement cost-effective energy conservation measures; converting suitable buildings from oil or electric heating to natural gas; and purchasing green electricity, where this represents value for money. Similar actions have been taken in the specialised buildings within the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Department of Social Development and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development,
	Official vehicle fleets are now generally diesel fuelled, and the official car pool has purchased two petrol/electric hybrid cars. Local plans are also in place covering car travel.

Food Poisoning

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many food poisoning outbreaks have occurred in each health trust area in each of the past five years; and how many of these have been identified as having originated in (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) elsewhere outside Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The number of food poisoning outbreaks that have occurred in each health trust area is not available. However, the number of food poisoning outbreaks that have occurred in each health board area and whether they originated from within Northern Ireland or abroad is available. These figures, as reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Northern Ireland, (CDSCN1), are detailed in the following table for each of the last five years for which data are available.
	
		
			   Outbreak originating in: 
			  Total NI (a) Republic of Ireland (b) Abroad 
		
		
			 EHSSB 3 3 0 0 
			 NHSSB 3 3 0 0 
			 SHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 WHSSB 1 1 0 0 
			 EHSSB 4 4 0 0 
			 NHSSB 3 2 0 1 
			 SHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 WHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 EHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 NHSSB 2 2 0 o 
			 SHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 WHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 EHSSB 2 2 0 0 
			 NHSSB 2 2 0 0 
			 SHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 WHSSB 1 1 0 0 
			 NI Outbreak 1 0 0 1 
			 EHSSB 6 0 0 0 
			 NHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 SHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 WHSSB 0 0 0 0 
			 NI Outbreak 2 0 0 2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. There were no food-borne outbreaks reported as originating in ROI.
	2. Figures for NI Outbreak are presented separately as they cannot be attributed to any particular health board area.

Home Adaptations

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time taken to carry out home adaptations by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive following a recommendation by an occupational therapist was in each year since 2003.

David Hanson: The Housing Executive measures the time taken from receipt of a recommendation from an occupational therapist (OT) to the commencement of works against agreed standards and a classification of cases according to their urgency/priority. Each adaptation is tailored to the specific needs of the individual person concerned. The length of time taken by a contractor to then complete a job is variable and can range from a few days to a few months for extensions.
	From the receipt of an OT recommendation to work starting, in the public sector, the figures are as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			  200304 200405 200506(24) 
		
		
			 Lifts
			 Within 12 weeks 66 91 89 
			 Within 22 weeks 93 97 97 
			 
			 Extensions
			 Started within 30 weeks 20 23 36 
			 Started within 46 weeks 53 56 64 
			 Started within 60 weeks 70 71 79 
		
	
	(24) To end September 2005.
	
		Percentage
		
			  April to September 2005 
		
		
			 Showers  
			 Within 10 weeks 72(25) 
			 Within 40 weeks 77(26) 
		
	
	(25) Urgent cases.
	(26) Non-urgent cases.
	Note:
	Figures only available from 2004.
	Private sector
	The average length of time taken to carry out home adaptations in the private sector with Northern Ireland Housing Executive Grant aid following an occupational therapist's recommendation is as follows:
	
		
			  Weeks 
		
		
			 200304 116 
			 200405 121 
			 200506 117 
		
	
	Much of the period indicated above is outside the Housing Executive's direct control. For example:
	The period for the applicant to complete a formal grant application. This includes getting plans drawn up and approved by the occupational therapist and the Housing Executive. This type of work often requires building control and planning approval and ordinarily Housing Executive allows six months for completion of this stage.
	The period for the Housing Executive to undertake the means test and calculate the costs of the grant-aided works.
	The period for the applicant to engage a contractor and have the works carried out and the period for sign-off of the final approval of the completed works and making the final payment.

Housing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average amount of outstanding debt owed by (a) tenants and (b) past tenants of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was at the end of 2004, broken down by constituency.

David Hanson: The information is not available in the form requested. The following table details past and current tenant arrears by NIHE district office at the end of the financial year 200405.
	
		Rent/rates arrears at end 200405
		
			  
			  Current tenants Past tenants Total 
		
		
			 Belfast 1 485,544 107,938 593,482 
			 Belfast 2 649,625 205,479 855,104 
			 Belfast 3 401,547 74,104 475,651 
			 Belfast 4 747,688 245,187 992,875 
			 Belfast 5 745,808 280,770 1,026,578 
			 Belfast 6 412,668 178,762 591,429 
			 Belfast 7 739,693 186,245 925,938 
			 Belfast area 4,182,573 1,278,485 5,461,058 
			 
			 Bangor 631,552 101,367 732,919 
			 N'ards 556,235 164,924 721,159 
			 Castlereagh 625,561 241 ,624 867,185 
			 Lisburn 670,231 285,165 955,396 
			 Lisburn 3 320,578 87,838 408,416 
			 D'patrick 355,090 118,311 473,401 
			 S east area 3,159,248 999,229 4,158,477 
			 
			 Banbridge 270,926 82,594 353,520 
			 Newry 324,153 90,802 414,955 
			 Armagh 169,272 62,270 231,543 
			 Lurgan/B'low 290,775 70,472 361,246 
			 P'down 248,778 86,684 335,461 
			 Dungannon 249,417 62,335 311,753 
			 Fermanagh 228;029 33,948 261,977 
			 South area 1,781,350 489,105 2,270,455 
			 
			 B'mena 241,397 62,678 304,075 
			 Antrim 292,106 42,037 334,143 
			 N'abbey 1 325,319 40,325 365,644 
			 N'abbey 2 237,667 116,012 353,679 
			 Carrick 229,263 56,984 286,247 
			 Larne 148,411 99,911 248,322 
			 B'castle 66,536 19,626 86,161 
			 B'money 129,991 28,503 158,494 
			 Coleraine 324,696 142,514 467,210 
			 N east area 1,995,385 608,589 2,603,973 
			 
			 W'loo place 223,704 28,755 252,459 
			 Waterside 535,554 232,563 768,116 
			 Coll terr 415,556 97,301 512,857 
			 Limavady 275,691 66,669 342,360 
			 M'felt 235,848 48,842 284,689 
			 Strabane 465,588 99,149 564,738 
			 Omagh 276,218 58,374 334,592 
			 Cookstown 182,663 14,720 197,383 
			 West area 2,610,823 646,373 3,257,195 
			 NI Total 13,729,379 4,021,780 17,751,158

Mental Health

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on perinatal mental illness in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Care for those suffering from perinatal mental health problems, including psychiatric illness, takes place at all levels within the health care system (psychiatric services, maternity and child welfare services and primary health care). Overall information in relation to perinatal mental illness is not available.

Out-patients (Waiting Times)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time was for out-patients to be treated at accident and emergency units of the main hospitals in Northern Ireland in each of the 12 months to (a) September 2004 and (b) September 2005.

Shaun Woodward: Information on average waiting times for out-patients treated at accident and emergency units is not collected centrally.

Railways

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of passenger train journeys made on (a) the lesser used lines and (b) the core network in Northern Ireland since 1 January were undertaken by train sets acquired in the past two years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available. However, Translink is currently collating information on train operations on the core network and on the lesser used lines and when this becomes available I will write to the hon. Gentleman.

Religious Profiles

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information his Department has collected about the extent to which the religious composition of the population of each ward in the province has changed in the last 30 years.

Angela Smith: The census of population provides information on the religious composition of each electoral ward. However, ward boundaries are reviewed periodically, and the results are presented for the wards current at the time of the census, The outputs from the last three censuses were thus based on different ward structures and it is not possible to track change at ward level over time directly from available census outputs. Estimates on a single ward geography could be made for each census using best-fit approximations, but this would require additional work and the interpretation of any observed trends would need to take cognisance of factors such as changes in the questionnaire wording, differences in the levels of non-response to the religion question, different population bases and different treatments of non-response in each census.

Safefood/Food Standards Agency

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the extent of the level of interaction is between safefood and the Foods Standards Agency; and what assessment he has made of the merits of reviewing the relationship between the two bodies to promote effectiveness and cost efficiency.

Shaun Woodward: Section 34 of the Food Standards Act 1999, which established the Food Standards Agency (FSA), states that the FSA must take account of, and consult with, the Food Safety Promotion Board (FSPB)also known as safefoodin carrying out its activities.
	There has been significant contact between the FSA Board, particularly through the Northern Ireland member on that body, and the FSPB. In the current year, the Northern Ireland member has met with the chair of the FSPB Advisory Board, and addressed a formal meeting of the FSPB governing body. The FSPB chief executive has also made a presentation on relationships between his organisation and the FSA at a meeting of the Nl Food Advisory Committee, which is chaired by the FSA's Northern Ireland Board member.
	At official level, a concordat has been established between the FSA and FSPB to guide working relations. Two formal meetings of senior management teams from both organisations have taken place, with the next meeting planned for March 2006,
	Practical examples of both organisations working together in the past year include: the Director of FSA Nl Chairs an All Island Nutrition Forumthe Secretariat is provided by the FSPB; representation from FSA Nl on the FSPB's Consumer Focused Review; a jointly resourced stand at the Balmoral Show; jointly co-ordinated and sponsored National Food Safety Week initiatives in Northern Ireland; a jointly organised and resourced seminar in Dublin, on the subject of salt consumption. Both organisations continue to explore how they jointly carry out their work in an effective and efficient way, and this scope for review is enshrined in the UK legislation and in the concordat between the FSA and FSPB. The relationship between both bodies continues to develop and this can only further enhance the effectiveness of their joint work and ensure cost efficiencies for the taxpayer. A good example of this are plans in 2007 for FSA to carry out a major UK-wide survey on food consumption, the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which will for the first time include a sample for Northern Ireland. The costs of the sample for Northern Ireland are high, and could not be met out of the current FSA NI budget. The FSPB has agreed to make a significant financial contribution to facilitate the survey.

Sexual Health

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services are provided in each Health Board Area in respect of sexually transmitted infections; and what the (a) budget, (b) staffing profile and (c) service level is in each.

Shaun Woodward: The information is as follows.
	
		Service provision/level
		
			  Provision 
		
		
			 EHSSB  
			 Royal Group of Hospitals Consultant-led GUM clinics Monday to Friday, morning and afternoon. Additional nurse-led sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 
			   
			 SHSSB  
			 Daisy Hill Hospital Consultant-led GUM clinics on Wednesday mornings. Additional nurse-led session on Monday evening 
			   
			 NHSSB  
			 Causeway Hospital Consultant-led GUM clinics twice per week 
			   
			 WHSSB  
			 Altnagelvin Hospital Consultant-led GUM clinics, six times per week 
		
	
	
		Funding provision 200405
		
			   
		
		
			 EHSSB 2,237,000 
			 SHSSB 510,000 
			 NHSSB 330,000 
			 WHSSB 246,000 
		
	
	
		Staffing levels
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 EHSSB  
			 Consultants (27)2.6 
			 Specialist Registrars 2 
			 Trainees 2 
			 Nursing Staff (27)11 
			 Health advisers 2 
			 Clerical/secretarial staff (27)4.75 
			 Staff grades n/k 
			 Hospital practitioners n/k 
			 Clinical assistants n/k 
			   
			 SHSSB  
			 Consultant 1 
			 GP's with Specialist interest in GUM 3 
			 Nurses 4 
			 Sexual Health Adviser 1 
			 Healthcare Assistant 1 
			 Nursing Auxiliary 1 
			 Senior Health Promotion Officer 1 
			   
			 NHSSB  
			 Consultant 1 
			 GPs 3 
			 Nurses 5 
			 Senior Health Promotion Officer 1 
			   
			 WHSSB  
			 Visiting Consultant 1 
			 Hospital Practitioners 3 
			 Grade G Charge Nurse 1 
			 Grade E Staff Nurse 2 
		
	
	'n/k' = not known
	(27) WTE

Sexual Offences Act

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to bring Northern Ireland legislation into line with sections 114 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

David Hanson: The Government are currently considering the options for reform of the law on sexual offences in Northern Ireland.

Smoking

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of smoking-related diseases in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: This information is not available. However, for the purposes of the draft Regulatory Impact Assessment, which was prepared to inform the policy on controlling smoking in enclosed public places and work places, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has estimated that, in 200304, the Northern Ireland hospital costs of treating circulatory and respiratory diseases of which active smoking could be a contributory factor was 74 million.

Smoking

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of people in Northern Ireland who smoke; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: Smoking prevalence in Northern Ireland since 199697 is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Financial Year Prevalence 
		
		
			 199697 29 
			 199899 29 
			 200001 27 
			 200203 26 
			 200405 26 
		
	
	Source:
	Continuous Household Survey.
	Further data on smoking prevalence in Northern Ireland are available on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website:
	www.csu.nisra.gov.uk
	In 2003, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety published a Five Year Tobacco Action Plan to tackle smoking. The Department continues to fund public information campaigns on tobacco arid the development of a range of smoking cessation services across Northern Ireland.

South Eastern ELB

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) primary schools and (b) area high schools within the South Eastern education and library board area are being considered for closure; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The South Eastern education and library board plans to create two primary schools through the amalgamation of four schools in Lisburn and two in Holywood.
	The board is also currently undertaking strategic reviews of controlled school provision in the Lisburn, Dunmurry, Castlereagh, Bangor and North East Ards areas. These reviews have been subject to consultation and they identify options, including some potential rationalisations. Further detailed consideration of the options will be required before any decisions are made.
	There are currently no plans for maintained school closures in the board area.

Vocational Qualifications

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of young people in the Province acquired (a) apprentice, (b) skilled craft and (c) technician level vocational qualifications in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The following table details the percentage of young people (aged 1619) in Northern Ireland who gained a vocational qualification at levels of study 2 to 4 (assumed to equate to apprentice, skilled craft and technician level vocational qualifications) in the 5-year period 19992000 to 200304. The data relate to schools, further education provision and jobskills qualifications.
	
		
			  Percentage of 16 to 19-year-olds who obtained a vocational qualification at levels of study 24 
		
		
			 19992000 14 
			 200001 15 
			 200102 16 
			 200203 14 
			 200304 13 
		
	
	Note:
	16-year-olds cannot generally obtain vocational qualifications at school.

TREASURY

Alcohol and Smoking-related Deaths

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many deaths in (a) England and (b) West Lancashire (i) consumption of alcohol and (ii) smoking was the main cause in the last year for which figures are available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Rosie Cooper, dated 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking in how many deaths in (a) England and (b) West Lancashire (i) consumption of alcohol and (ii) smoking was the main cause in the last year for which figures are available. I am replying in her absence. (27695)
	The most recently available information for mortality is deaths registered in 2004. The table below shows numbers of deaths among residents of England and West Lancashire local authority, where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol use in 2004.
	Information is not recorded on the death certificate on smoking. Estimates can however be made of the number of deaths attributable to smoking, by making use of information on the contribution of smoking to specific conditions recorded at death. The most recent estimates for England were published by the Health Development Agency in 2004l. This report estimated that between 1998 and 2002 an annual average of 86,500 deaths were caused by smoking in England.
	Estimates were not published at parliamentary constituency or local authority level. However maps based on the estimated percentage of all deaths from causes attributable to smoking, at ages 35 and over, were published for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). For West Lancashire it was estimated that 32 per cent. of all deaths of those aged 35 and over were attributable to smoking 2 . West Lancashire PCT is coterminous with West Lancashire local authority.
	1 Twigg L, Moon G and Walker S. The smoking epidemic in England. Health Development Agency, 2004.
	2 Information supplied by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
	
		Alcohol-related deaths(28) to usual residents of England and West Lancashire local authority, registered 2004
		
			 Area of residence Number of deaths 
		
		
			 England 6,125 
			 West Lancashire 14 
		
	
	(28) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The codes used by ONS to define alcohol-related deaths are listed:
	F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70Alcoholic liver disease
	K73Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol.
	Notes:
	1. Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.
	2. The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A. and Rooney C. (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp 514.

Alcohol and Smoking-related Deaths

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths where alcohol was the primary cause there were in West Lancashire in the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Rosie Cooper, dated 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths where alcohol was the primary cause there were in West Lancashire in the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (27847)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. The attached table shows the numbers of deaths among residents of West Lancashire local authority where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol use in the years 2000 to 2004.
	
		Alcohol-related deaths(29) to usual residents of West Lancashire local authority, registered 200004
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 2000 13 
			 2001 18 
			 2002 13 
			 2003 18 
			 2004 14 
		
	
	(29) For the year 2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes used by ONS to define alcohol-related deaths are listed:
	291Alcoholic psychoses
	303Alcohol dependence syndrome
	305.0Non-dependent abuse of alcohol
	425.5Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	571Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
	E860Accidental poisoning by alcohol
	For the years 200104 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used. To maintain comparability with earlier years the following codes were used:
	F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70Alcoholic liver disease
	K73Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
	Notes:
	1. Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.
	2. The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A. and Rooney C. (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp 514.

Birth Statistics

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births there were to women resident in Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority area at (a) individual maternity hospitals, (b) midwife-led units, (c) home and (d) other locations in each year since 2000.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the number of births to women resident in the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority at (a) individual maternity hospitals, (b) midwife-led units, (c) home and (d) other locatons in each year since 2000. I am replying in her absence. (27498)
	The attached table relates to babies born in England and Wales to women usually resident in the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority area at the tme of the birth. Figures are presented for categories (a) and (b) combined, (c) and (d). Information is not available centrally on which of these institutions are mid-wife led units, so these are not listed separately.
	Hospitals where more than 30 live births took place over the period 2000 to 2004 have been shown individually; the remaining ones have been aggregated in the 'Other hospitals' sub-total. Births in the 'Elsewhere' category are mainly those occurring on the way to hospital or at a private residence which is not that of the mother.
	
		Live births by place of occurrence for women resident in Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA area 200004
		
			   Year of occurrence 
			  Place of occurrence 2000 2001 2002 20043 2004 
		
		
			 a) + b) Maternity hospital/unit 
			  
			  North Staffs Maternity Hospital 4,774 4,626 4,633 4,860 5,242 
			  Royal Shrewsbury Hospital 3,536 3,419 3,522 3,679 3,698 
			  District Hospital, Stafford 1,984 2,020 1,966 2,088 2,195 
			  Burton District Hospital Centre 1,801 1,855 1,877 1,933 1,970 
			  Good Hope Hospital 699 665 616 706 716 
			  Wrekin Maternity Unit, Princess Royal Hospital, Telford 124 449 464 426 479 
			  New Cross Hospital 401 404 372 374 366 
			  Manor Hospital, Walsall 314 328 310 307 284 
			  Victoria Hospital, Lichfield 237 292 265 326 313 
			  Wordsley Hospital 220 211 181 192 224 
			  Macclesfield District General 175 171 184 190 203 
			  Ysbyty Maelor, Wrexham 78 72 107 107 119 
			  Ludlow Hospital 74 83 79 77 98 
			  Orthopaedic and District Hospital, Oswestry 88 85 79 67 65 
			  Bridgnorth Hospital 85 57 81 67 68 
			  Wrekin Hospital 272 0 0 0 0 
			  Birmingham Women's Hospital, Edgbaston 48 51 54 47 36 
			  Derby City General 46 46 47 38 43 
			  Maternity Hospital, Nuneaton 39 40 35 35 46 
			  Leighton Hospital 28 32 31 31 30 
			  County Hospital, Hereford 18 16 26 21 28 
			  Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Newtown 0 0 30 37 37 
			  Royal Infirmary (Ronkswood), Worcester 26 34 13 0 0 
			  Countess of Chester Hospital 9 16 8 12 13 
			  Birmingham Heartlands Hospital 9 7 7 9 5 
			  Liverpool Women's Hospital 5 7 10 8 5 
			  City Hospital Winson Green, Birmingham 4 3 12 10 6 
			  Other hospitals* 78 83 75 73 86 
			  
			 c) At home 243 211 189 258 269 
			 d) Elsewhere 24 23 34 27 22 
			  
			  Total 15,439 15,306 15,307 16,005 16,666 
		
	
	*There were 112 hospitals/units in the 'Other' category where there was a least one birth in the period 2000 to 2004.

Child Trust Fund

Anne Moffat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in East Lothian are eligible to receive the Child Trust Fund.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Battersea (Martin Linton) on 30 November 2004, Official Report, columns 8788W. Information on the number of live births in East Lothian will be updated and placed in the House of Commons Library in due course. All children born and living in the UK since 1 September 2002 whose families receive child benefit will be eligible for the Child Trust Fund.

Child Trust Fund

Anne Moffat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is being spent in 200506 on newspaper advertising to improve the take-up rate of the Child Trust Fund in the UK.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 October 2005, Official Report, columns 4748W.

Child Trust Fund

Anne Moffat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is being spent in 200506 on commercial radio in Scotland to improve the take-up rate of the Child Trust Fund.

Ivan Lewis: HMRC is not currently running any radio advertising about the Child Trust Fund.

Child Trust Fund

Anne Moffat: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which companies are providing the Helpline for Child Trust Fund inquiries; and how many staff they employ.

Ivan Lewis: The Child Trust Fund Helpline is provided by 25 HM Revenue and Customs employees based at the Bathgate Call Centre.

Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the tax credit office expects to be able to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Birkenhead regarding the problems affecting the tax credits of his constituent, Mr Longsdale.

Dawn Primarolo: The tax credit office sent a reply to my right hon. Friend on 9 November 2005.

Council Tax Rebate

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Treasury has budgeted for the 200 council tax rebate.

Dawn Primarolo: The 2004 pre-Budget report and Budget 2005 both announced additional payments for pensioners to help with council tax bills and other living expenses. Further information on the cost of these measures can be found at table 1.2 of the 2005 Budget document and table 1.2 of the 2004 pre-Budget report document.

Damages

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by his Department in the last year for which figures are available, indicating in each case the nature of the claim.

John Healey: The only amount of damages the Treasury paid in 200405 was one payment of 79 for damage to an official's clothing.

EU Corporation Tax

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy to support the creation of a single corporation tax base within the European Union; what assessment he has made of the development of such a base through decisions of the European Court; and what his policy is on the Kovacs' measures on tax harmonisation within the EU.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's view is that fair tax competition is the way forward for Europe, not proposals for tax harmonisation including company tax base consolidation.
	Decisions of the European Court are considered, as a matter of course, to see whether there are any potential implications for the UK.

Gershon Review

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that no Inland Revenue and Customs office customer service offices in Cumbria are closed as part of the current review.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 90W.

Gold Sales

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer on 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 366W, on gold sales, 
	(1)  what assumptions were used in measuring the risk, when calculating the value-at-risk reduction of approximately 30 per cent.;
	(2)  whether the Treasury conducted a value-at-risk calculation on the alternative structure of the foreign exchange reserves at that time for comparative purposes;
	(3) , what the total return from the reinvested proceeds of the sale were, including interest in pounds sterling, from the announcement in May 1999 to October 2005; and what estimate he has made of the likely total return over the same period if the gold had not been sold.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the value at risk calculations that were conducted and the assumptions made can be found at Annex B Review of the sale of part of the UK gold reserves published in October 2002, which is available on the Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.aov.uk/media//9EFEF/GoldReserves.PDF
	The decision to rebalance the reserves portfolio by selling gold was a long-term investment decision not a short-term attempt to play the market. Reducing the riskiness of the portfolio can only be assessed meaningfully in the medium to long term because in the meantime short-term fluctuations in assets prices could mask the benefits of risk reduction.

Illegal Drug Deaths

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths have been caused in West Lancashire by illegal drugs since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Rosie Cooper, dated 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths have been caused in West Lancashire by illegal drugs since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (28093)
	Figures readily available from death certification relate deaths due to drug poisoning, not the total number that were attributable to drug use. These figures are produced from a special database which contains deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning. Deaths that may be caused indirectly by drug use, for example HIV infection or road traffic accidents, are not included. Death registration data are not the best source of information on these indirect deaths, because information on the role of drug use in the death may not be provided on the death certificate.
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2003. There were 14 deaths certified as due to drug poisoning 1 and involving drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act to residents of West Lancashire 2 in the seven years 1997 to 2003 3 . We cannot provide a further breakdown by year due to possible individual disclosure resulting from the small numbers of deaths involved.
	1 Defined using the following codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision for 20012003: F11-F16, F18-F19, X40-X44, X60-X64, Y10-Y14, X85 and the following codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision for 19972000: 292, 304, 305.2305.9, E850-E858, E950.0-E950.5, E962.0 and E980.0-E980.5
	2 Usual residents of West Lancashire.
	3 Data are for deaths occurring in each calendar year

Immunisation

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the potential debt liability arising from the International Finance Facility for Immunisation when it is drawn down.

Ivan Lewis: No debt liability will arise for the UK from the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). The UK has pledged 35 per cent. of the total resources required for a $4 billion IFFIm, equivalent to payments of $130 million a year, which will be recorded as government expenditure on an annual basis, in the year they are made.
	This follows the decision on 2 August of Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, which stated that the borrowing of the IFFIm should not be considered as a liability of donor countries, and that donations to the IFFIm should be scored as government expenditure in the year in which they are made.
	The IFFIm, launched on 9 September, will provide an additional $4 billion over the next 10 years to fund immunisation in the world's poorest countries, saving an estimated 10 million lives.

Income Tax

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of taxpayers in (a) West Lancashire and (b) the UK paid tax at the (i) basic rate and (ii) higher rate in 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to table 2.1 'Number of individual income taxpayers' on the HM Revenue and Customs internet website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table21.pdf.
	The percentages of individuals paying income tax at the basic rate and higher rate in the UK can be calculated from the data provided in the table.
	The income tax information is based upon the 200203 Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) projected forward to 200405 in line with Budget 2005 assumptions.
	Latest information on the estimated number of income taxpayers and their mean and median total income in West Lancashire constituency is shown in table 3.15 'Total Income by Parliamentary Constituency' on the HM Revenue and Customs internet website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/table-315.xls.
	Similar information for West Lancashire district is shown in table 3.14 'Total income by borough and district or unitary authority' http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#314.
	A breakdown by tax bands is not available because the sample sizes for marginal rates at constituency and district level are very small and demonstrate a large variability year on year.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent in each year from 1 May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of vehicular transport, (b) first class travel by rail, (c) standard class travel by rail, (d) first class travel by air, (e) club or equivalent class travel by air and (f) economy class travel by air.

John Healey: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Mr. Murphy) has asked Roy Burke, chief executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) to write to the hon. Member with details of the costs of ministerial vehicles provided to Departments in 200405. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
	For information for the financial years 200001 to 200304 I refer the hon. Member to the letters from the chief executive of the GCDA to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) dated 10 January 2005 and to the then hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Howard Flight) dated 13 September 2003. Copies of these letters are available in the Library of the House.
	In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Library of the House. These report information for the financial years 199596 to 200405. Information for 200506 will be published as soon as it is ready after the end
	of the current financial year. Detailed analysis of other forms of ministerial travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Ministerial Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by Ministers within his Department for UK and overseas visits; on how many occasions (a) charter flights were used and (b) first and club class tickets were obtained; and who accompanied the ministers on each trip.

John Healey: In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing 500 or more during each financial year. The list indicates when non-scheduled flights were used, and shows how many officials accompanied Ministers in those circumstances. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 199506. Information for 200506 will be published after the end of the financial year.
	Equivalent detail about domestic travel could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

National Debt

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the long-term impact on tax rates of the national debt.

Ivan Lewis: The sustainable investment rule ensures public sector net debt and debt interest payments stay at a low and sustainable level. This ensures the Government's objective of sound public finances and that spending and taxation impact fairly within and between generations.
	Budget 2005 projections show public sector net debt remains low, stabilising at around 37 per cent. of GDP by the end of the forecast period, well below the 40 per cent. level and comfortably meeting the sustainable investment rule.
	Updated projections will be published in the 2005 pre-Budget report as usual, taking into account all relevant factors and developments.

P11D Returns

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to (a) amend the current definition of those subject to P11D returns as higher rate earners and (b) raise the threshold for the requirement to submit a P11D return.

Dawn Primarolo: The current definition of those subject to P11D returns is a director or employee who earned at a rate of 8,500 a year or more. There are no plans to change the criteria or to raise the threshold.

P11D Returns

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people on the national minimum wage he estimates are required to submit P11D returns as higher rate earners.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

Parliamentary Questions

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he will provide substantive answers to the questions from the hon. Member for Birkenhead tabled on 19 October 2005, (references 21082 and 21173.);
	(2)  when he will provide substantive answers to the questions from the hon. Member for Birkenhead tabled on 19 October 2005 (references 21141 and 21147);
	(3)  when he will provide a substantive answer to the question from the hon. Member for Birkenhead tabled on 21 October 2005 (reference 22002).

Dawn Primarolo: I have answered the five questions concerned.

Peformance-related Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs are to receive performance-related pay (PRP) in 200506; and for how many staff PRP is directly linked to revenue collection targets.

Dawn Primarolo: In HMRC, all pay awards are performance-related, because staff must achieve a satisfactory standard of performance to qualify for an award.
	From 2006, the top 20 per cent. of staff will receive an additional non-consolidated, non-pensionable bonus. Approximately 85 per cent. of HMRC staff work in business units concerned with revenue collection. The PRP of these staff is directly linked to revenue collection targets.
	The remaining 15 per cent. of staff work in business units, which support the work of those delivering revenue collection targets. There is therefore an indirect link between revenue collection targets and the PRP of these staff.

Pensions

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 306W, on pensions, what the total public sector pension deficit liability was in 1997 calculated on any available basis; and what the basis of the calculation was of the 460 billion figure given.

Des Browne: An estimate of the total of pension assets and liabilities across the public sector is not available.
	For the basis of the calculation of the 460 billion figure for the unfunded public service pension liabilities I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 11 November 2005, Official Report, column 77576W.

PFI Deals

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in including estimates of the finance lease loan element of private finance initiative deals in public sector debt figures; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Ms Karen Dunnell, the National Statistician, told the Treasury Select Committee on 9 November 2005 that she hoped to complete the work in the summer of 2006.

PFI Deals

Vincent Cable: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact on public sector debt of the finance lease loan element of private finance initiative deals; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Office for National Statistics has not yet made an estimate of the impact on Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) of including the implied debt in on-balance-sheet private finance initiative deals. Work is in hand to produce a robust number for inclusion in PSND.

Predictive Diallers

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 200405 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres.

John Healey: The Treasury has no call centres.

Small Businesses

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of providing tax relief to small businesses investing in measures to protect themselves against crime.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review. Expenditure incurred by businesses on the protection of business premises or the safeguarding of staff is eligible for relief providing it satisfies the general rules that provide relief for business expenditure. In addition, where relief might not otherwise be allowable under the general rules because of the personal benefit to the employee or proprietor, there is special provision for relief for security expenditure relating to threats to employees and proprietors of businesses.

Suicides

Rosie Cooper: To ask The Chancellor of the Exchequer how many suicides there were in West Lancashire, in the most recent year for which figures are available, by young people aged 15 to 24 years, (a) broken down by sex and (b) expressed as a percentage of all suicides.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many suicides there were in West Lancashire in the most recent year for which figures are available by young people aged 15 to 24 years, broken down by sex and expressed as a percentage of all suicides. I am replying in her absence. (27840)
	The most recently available information is for deaths registered in 2004. In this year there were no suicides of people aged 15 to 24 registered for usual residents of West Lancashire local authority. 1
	1 In routine statistics, ONS defines suicides as deaths from both intentional self-harm and 'injury or poisoning of undetermined intent'. Data were searched using the following International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes:
	Intentional self-harmICD-10 X60X84.
	Injury or poisoning of undetermined intentICD-10 Y10Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the Coroner's verdict was pending.

Surveys and Research

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all externally commissioned surveys and research by his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997, indicating for each (a) the external contractor employed, (b) the cost and (c) the time taken to complete; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: This information is not held centrally in the Treasury or its agencies, and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs introduced new telephone call management and monitoring equipment to the tax credit MP hotline.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 8 November 2005
	HM Revenue and Customs introduced new telephony equipment to the tax credits MP hotline facility to provide call management information and maintain quality assurance of service it provides for hon. Members.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) internal and (b) external reviews that have been conducted into the tax credit IT system (i) before it was introduced and (ii) since its introduction.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs and their IT suppliers keep the development and operation of the tax credit computer system under constant review. The Department commissioned two formal reviews of the development of the system that were carried out in September 2001 and October 2003.
	There have been four formal external gateway reviews of the Tax Credits Programme carried out by the Office of Government Commerce between December 2002 and March 2005.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times manual payments of tax credits have been made when the recovery of an overpayment could not be suspended.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

Roger Gale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Revenue and Customs claims for the repayment of child tax credit are outstanding; what the total value of such claims is; whether he plans to change the system by which child tax credit payments are (a) assessed and (b) made; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 19 October 2005
	Details on the amount of tax credits payments outstanding at 31 March 2005 can be found in the Department of Inland Revenue 200405 Trust Statement.
	In my written statement of 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 2223WS, I said that I had agreed six measures with HMRC to improve the administration of tax credits, with particular regard to how the Department communicates with families about their tax credits award, reducing the risk of errors adding to the number of overpayments and improving procedures for recovering overpayments.
	My right. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said in the Chamber on 10 November 2005, Official Report, column 449, that where a claimant disputes the recovery of an overpayment action will be taken to prevent automatic recovery of any outstanding amount owed until the tax credit office has looked into the case and made a decision. This applies both to the cases on hand and to new cases going forward.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many additional tax credit payments have been made in each (a) month, (b) quarter and (c) year since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 8 November 2005, Official Report, column 331W.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have (a) complained about and (b) appealed against tax credit overpayments for 200304; and if he will make a statement.

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have (a) complained about and (b) appealed against tax credit over payments for 200304.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have (a) complained about and (b) appealed against tax credit overpayments in respect of 200304 in West Lancashire.

Dawn Primarolo: Figures on the number of complaints received about the recovery of a tax credit overpayment are not available for 200304. For the number of requests received disputing the recovery of an overpayment I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2385W.
	Tax credits claimants have a right of appeal against decisions about their tax credit entitlement but claimants are able to pursue with HM Revenue and Customs any disagreement concerning the recovery of an overpayment. The Department's Code of Practice 26, 'What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?' describes their approach to overpayments and is available on the internet at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.pdf

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit awards which are being paid off-system have received manual giro payments for (a) one month, (b) two months, (c) three months, (d) six months and (e) 12 months or more.

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many manual payments of tax credits are being made; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested by my right hon. Friend (the Member for Birkenhead) is not available at the requested level of detail. HM Revenue and Customs is currently making manual tax credits payments to around 16,000 households.

Tax Credits

Mike Wood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of low income claimants have experienced gaps in tax credit payments due to (a) overpayment investigations and (b) recovery action.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints about tax credits have been received in each month since June 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: Complaints about tax credits can be made in various ways, including as part of telephone calls, visits to HM Revenue and Customs Enquiry Centres, and written correspondence from claimants where the primary purpose of the communication is to receive or provide information. No comprehensive count of such complaints is maintained.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many compensation payments have been made by the tax credits department of HM Revenue and Customs for poor service in each month since January 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The circumstances in which the former Inland Revenue and HM Revenue and Customs will make compensation payments to its customers are explained in the Department's code of practice 1 Putting things right which is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop1.pdf
	The Department will pay compensation for reasonable costs incurred as a direct result of their mistakes or delays and to recognise worry and distress caused by those mistakes and delays.
	The Department will make a compensation payment if they believe it is justified even if the customer has not asked for compensation.
	The total number of compensation payments in relation to tax credits, by HMRC's Tax Credit Office and contact centres, in each month is:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2004  
			 January 329 
			 February 880 
			 March 1,399 
			 April 1,507 
			 May 2,150 
			 June 1,639 
			 July 1,805 
			 August 1,657 
			 September 1,441 
			 October 1,429 
			 November 1,304 
			 December 1,476 
			   
			 1995  
			 January 1,884 
			 February 2,162 
			 March 1,733 
			 April 1,202 
			 May 1,653 
			 June 1,929 
			 July 1,542 
			 August 1,296 
			 September 1,087

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  in what circumstances a tax credit claimant who provides (a) job details and hours worked but no income details and (b) job details and hours worked for a disabled partner but no income details as part of a joint claim containing the disability element could receive working tax credits based on them having nil income;
	(2)  what measures are in place to alert staff responsible for tax credits when a claim for working tax credit contains (a) job details and the number of hours worked, but no income details leading to a maximum award of tax credit and (b) the disability element in respect of a partner in a joint claim who has given job details and hours worked but no income details.

Dawn Primarolo: Where a claimant has provided a number of hours worked but not given any income details, the Tax Credit Office will be automatically alerted to ask for further information from the claimant. The Tax Credit Office will check the income details for the award with the claimant. Any entitlement for working tax credit would be based on the information provided by the claimant at that stage.
	The notes sent with the claim form inform self-employed claimants that should their business have made a loss in the preceding tax year, they should enter their income as nil. It is on this basis that a nil income claim is processed as valid.
	If, for some reason, an award is established on the wrong income, the claimant would be able to check the income details on which the award is based on the award notice. Accompanying guidance asks claimants to inform HMRC if their income has gone up or down in the current year. At the end of the tax year, the claimants are asked to confirm their actual income for the year.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times the IT system supporting the MPs' tax credit hotline has been out of operation since 2003; and what the duration of the downtime was in each instance.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 October 2005
	New telephony equipment was introduced to the MP hotline on 7 October 2005. There has been one case of downtime since, on the 10 October 2005, when the MP hotline was down for a 30 minute period.
	Prior to 7 October 2005 the hotline's telephone system was not supported by an IT system.

Tax Credits

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the estimate is of overpaid tax credits written off in 200405;

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (2) how much official error relief for tax credits was written off in each month from January to October; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil on 27 October 2005, Official Report, columns 49697W. Following a data cleansing exercise, which removed some duplicated records from the system, the amounts written off in June, July, August and September 2005 were around:
	
		
			 Month 2005 Amount written off 000 
		
		
			 July 24,400 
			 August 27,300 
			 September 18,500 
		
	
	Details of the amount written off in October 2005 are not yet available.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many scheduled tax credit payments were not made automatically on the first scheduled payment date after a claim was decided for each year since 200304; and what the average delay was in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

UK Competitiveness

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received regarding (a) productivity levels, (b) business investment and (c) United Kingdom competitiveness.

John Healey: The Chancellor of Exchequer receives representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals. These cover a range of issues, including UK productivity and competitiveness, and business investment.

Unemployment

David Mundell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of people in Scotland receive unemployment benefit.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. David Mundell dated, 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question regarding the number and percentage of people who were receiving unemployment benefit in Scotland. I am replying in her absence. (28450)
	The latest available statistics for September 2005 show that, on a seasonally adjusted basis, there were 85,700 people resident in Scotland who were claiming the Jobseeker's Allowance. This represented 2.7 per cent. of the working age resident population of Scotland.

Unemployment

Paul Rowen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the working-age population was unemployed in each ward in Rochdale constituency in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Paul Rowen, dated 15 November 2005
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. I am replying in her absence. (28935)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles statistics of employment from the Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, estimates of employment are not available for wards as the survey sample size for such areas is too small.
	Table 1 shows the 2001 Census figures for numbers of persons of working age in employment, and those in employment as a percentage of the total resident working age population, for the wards of the Rochdale constituency.
	The data are published in the Labour Market profiles for wards on the Office for National Statistics's Nomis website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		Table 1: Number of employed persons of working age, and working age employment rate in the wards of the Rochdale parliamentary constituency
		
			 Wards(30) Number in employment Employment rate (%) 
		
		
			 Balderstone 3,755 65.7 
			 Brimrod and Deeplish 2,914 58.8 
			 Central and Falinge 2,882 49.3 
			 Healey 6,300 73.7 
			 Littleborough 6,038 77.2 
			 Newbold 3,766 57.6 
			 Smallbridge and Wardleworth 3,866 48.9 
			 Spotland 3,713 71.8 
			 Wardle 4.257 73.6 
			 Total 37,491  
		
	
	(30) Census Area Statistics Wards
	Source:
	2001 Census

Unemployment

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of youth unemployment has been in Great Yarmouth in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Anthony Wright, dated 15 November 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about youth unemployment. (28042)
	Table 1 shows the total numbers of unemployed young people aged 16 to 24 who were resident in the Great Yarmouth Parliamentary Constituency. The table covers the 12 month periods ending in February each year from 2001 to 2004 and the 12 month period ending in March 2005. These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2 shows the annual average number of JSA claimants, aged 18 to 24, resident in the Great Yarmouth constituency for 2000 to 2004.
	The data are published on the Office for National Statistics's Nomis(r) website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		Table 1: Number of unemployed, aged 16 to 24, resident in the Great Yarmouth constituency
		
			 Thousand 
			 12 months ending Great Yarmouth 
		
		
			 February 2001 1 
			 February 2002 1 
			 February 2003 * 
			 February 2004 * 
			 March 2005 1 
		
	
	* Estimate not available, sample size less than three could be disclosive.
	Note:
	The estimates for local areas are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a very high degree of sampling variability.
	Changes from year to year, especially, should be treated with caution.
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants, aged 18 to 24, resident in the Great Yarmouth constituency.
		
			 Annual averages Great Yarmouth 
		
		
			 2000 800 
			 2001 675 
			 2002 635 
			 2003 630 
			 2004 680 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Computerised claims only.
	2. Data rounded to nearest five for disclosure control.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

Unmarried Couples (Capital Gains Tax)

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an unmarried couple who each own a home would incur a capital gains tax disadvantage by marrying.

Dawn Primarolo: A married couple may have only one home that qualifies for private residence relief regardless of the number of properties they own. Whether an unmarried couple would have a capital gains tax disadvantage if they married would depend on their particular circumstances.

VAT (Football Match Admission)

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to remove VAT from the price of admission for children attending football matches; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Under our agreements with our European partners, we are not able to extend our existing VAT zero rates or introduce any new ones.

Vehicle Sales Tax

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been raised from vehicle sales tax in each year since 199798 (a) in total and (b) broken down by vehicle type; and what estimates have been made of likely revenue in future years.

John Healey: The UK does not impose a vehicle sales tax.

Ministerial Travel

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much it cost (a) him and (b) officials from his Department to fly to and from Israel on 8 November.
	(2)  what the flight arrangements were for his visit to Israel on 8 November;
	(3)  how many Government officials accompanied him on his visit to Israel on 8 November.

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the additional cost of (a) his and (b) his officials' early return from Israel to permit him to vote in the proceedings in the Terrorism Bill.

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of amending his travel arrangements and returning from Israel in order to vote in the House on 9 November; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of rearranging his flight from Israel on 9 November, and whether the cost was met by public funds.

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was to his Department of his early return to the United Kingdom from Israel on 9 November.

John Healey: holding answer 14 November 2005
	Paragraph 10.11 of the Ministerial Code states:
	if a Minister is abroad with permission and is called home for ministerial or parliamentary reasonsincluding to votethe cost of the extra journey back and forth may be met by public funds.
	It cost a total of 1,518 for the Chancellor to fly back to the UK from Israel and to return to Israel on 9 November. The Chancellor was accompanied by two Treasury officials.

Ministerial Travel

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether hon. Members other than the Chancellor returned to London from overseas for parliamentary votes on 9 November at his Department's expense.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 November. No other Members returned at the Treasury's expense.